


Sewing Hearts

by dmsgkysh



Series: Fantasy Ensemble [1]
Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Bromance, Dark Past, Developing Friendships, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Feelings, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Legends, Memories, Misunderstandings, Romance, Trauma, Trust
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2020-04-05 05:35:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19042168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dmsgkysh/pseuds/dmsgkysh
Summary: A magic-wielding marionette master, who has shut himself away from the world in despair, accidentally gives life to a beautiful marionette.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> In some ways, this work was inspired by "Kokoronashi (Somehow)," a vocaloid song composed by Chouchou-P. Updates could be a bit slow, so I hope you enjoy the story in a relaxed pace :)

"Oh, my dear marionette, open your eyes."

The secret room in the basement is dim, lit up with multiple lamps. Only the most basic furniture are present, perhaps due to the large wooden desk at the center of the room that occupies most of the space. Needles, threads, pieces of cloth and wood, bowls of paint, and other numerous tools are scattered messily about on the desk and the floor underneath it.

Beside the desk, a large mirror faces an old chair, where a blonde boy is sitting, hands gathered on his lap and eyes shut calmly. He looks quite young, around the age of thirteen. The lamplights sketch enigmatic patterns on his smooth and fair skin. Even while maintaining a straight posture, the boy is so perfectly still that he resembles a delicate sculpture.

Slowly, his eyes flutter open. Bright ruby orbs glow under the long eyelashes.

A pink-haired boy, looking a few years older than his awoken companion, stands right behind the chair. His hands are resting lightly on the blonde one's shoulders. His hopeful, amethyst eyes are fixed on the mirror—the beautiful reflection of his _marionette_.

Their eyes meet. The pink-haired smiles blissfully.

"I am Shu Itsuki, the marionette master who created you. You may call me 'Master.'"

"'Master...'" the blond whispers, testing the word on his tongue. His small lips squirm almost invisibly.

"Yes."

With a proud nod, Shu leans forward and kindly brushes the loose strands of golden hair with his long fingers, tucking them behind the round ears. They stare together into the mirror. The blond's expression remains utterly emotionless, even as his gaze traces the sight of his own flawless face for the first time.

"And you, my wonderful marionette, are Nazuna Nito. That is your name from this moment on."


	2. Departures

“Master, I'm goin’ in.”

Mika mumbles, knocking on the closed door. As usual, however, no answer comes from the other side. Carefully, he pushes the door, which opens with a low creak.

Even though it is past midday, the room lacks light, since all the curtains are drawn, and the fireplace is cold. It takes a while for Mika’s sight to adjust to the darkness. Finally, he can make out the contours of his master, Shu, lying curled-up on the bed. The blankets cover him from head to toe. Mika sighs quietly and clears his throat.

“I'm headin’ out,” he announces, “I’ll be back in the evenin’, all right?”

No answer again, but Mika knows Shu has heard him, so he shuts the door quietly. He grabs the basket of handicrafts he prepared for the week and hastily walks to the front door. There are two big metal locks and one latch on the door. Mika made them about a year ago in order to protect Shu from any possible threats.

After ensuring that the front door is securely locked, Mika leaves the house. This has become a daily routine, but it feels precarious rather than stable. Like walking along the edge of a precipice with no one and nothing to hold onto.

For the sake of his master, Mika fervently yearns that this anxious state improve from tomorrow onwards.

 

-

 

“Mika, so you guys are moving out tomorrow, right?”

Arashi asks, sipping onto his cup of chamomile tea. For Arashi, who is quite keen about maintaining his young and beautiful appearance, chamomile tea is indispensable, as it is known to improve skin health. He makes sure to drink it at least once every day.

Mika nods with a comforted smile.

“Yeah. It’s thanks ta y’all. I'm awfully grateful ta ya 'n yer friends, Naru. Without y’all, I mighta never moved outta that town.”

Giggling, Arashi props his chin on his hands.

“You’re welcome! I’m a bit worried, though. Are you sure you’ll be able to move everything by yourself? I can visit you tomorrow to help move some of the leftover furniture. I am free during the morning.”

Mika shakes his head.

“It's totally fine, Naru. I’ve already moved most of the stuff in secret with the horse cart that Adonis lent me. The only things left are those in Master’s bedroom.” Mika pauses, fidgeting wistfully with his empty teacup. “Plus, ya know, I don’t think Master would want any strangers around.”

“…I see.”

“Naru, how should I pay ya back fer everythin’?”

“Oh, my. You don’t need to pay me back!” Arashi pats Mika’s head. “You just need to become happy. That’s enough for me!”

“Still! I’ll make sure ta pay ya back when Master gets better 'n starts performing again!” Mika beams cheerfully. “I can’t wait fer that day…”

As Mika chatters on, Arashi smiles sympathetically. Mika is such a sweet and pure person. Arashi became to know him while buying his handicrafts. A flower-patterned handkerchief was the first thing that he purchased from Mika.

The first time they met, Mika addressed Arashi in the bustling streets, demonstrating his basket nervously and asking whether he would like to buy an artisanal handicraft.

One of the features that instantly caught Arashi’s interest was Mika’s heterochromia. Since it was a unique trait that Arashi had never witnessed firsthand, he found it quite enchanting, but pretended not to notice because Mika seemed to be hiding it behind his long bangs.

Instead, Arashi would buy Mika’s handicrafts and strike up a conversation with him whenever the timid young man appeared in the town. Initially, Mika was extremely wary of the friendly regular customer, but as time passed, Mika seemed to realize that Arashi bore no ulterior motives and naturally opened up. He even accepted Arashi’s invitation to drink tea together.

Eventually, Arashi discovered that Mika lives in a town somewhat far from his, but has to travel a significant distance to sell due to complicated circumstances. Mika is taking care of an emotionally unstable “Master,” who is hated by the townspeople by false rumors. Nonetheless, that hatred also extends to Mika, which forces him to earn money someplace else.

“Mika, in that case, how about you and your...'master' move to another town?” Arashi once suggested softly.

“…It's fine,” Mika muttered, “Master doesn't wanna move, so I’m okay with this.”

Arashi was concerned but decided to respect Mika’s choice. A few weeks later, however, Mika appeared with a miserable countenance. When Arashi asked whether something was wrong, Mika suddenly broke down to tears.

“What should I do, Naru?! I’m scared!” he wailed desperately, “I’m scared that Master'll disappear…! I—I woke 'im up this morning, 'n I noticed that he—he’s turned awful thin…!”

Arashi couldn’t take it anymore.

Having let Mika calm down with a cup of tea, Arashi stated adamantly.

“Mika, I am making you and your master move out of that town.”

Mika sniffled, shaking his head weakly. “Master doesn't—”

“No, no! I am sorry, but I do _not_ care about your master’s opinion. I don’t want to see my friend suffer any longer. Besides, think about it. Wouldn’t your master's condition get better if he moved? He won't have to stay indoors all the time.”

"...But Master 'n I ain't got money ta buy land or build a new house. 'N I haven't even looked fer a good place."

“It’s okay.” Arashi reassured confidently. “I have an idea.”

A few months ago, Arashi had traveled to a secluded and peaceful village next to the ocean to visit one of his closest friends, Leo, who had recently become the village head. Near the beach, there was an abandoned house. It was small but had some antique designs on the outside. According to Leo, the house had had no owner or resident for years. Amongst the children, it was rumored to have been previously occupied by a mage, but that was simply an invented story. A few days ago, some travelers had even used the house freely.

Curious, Arashi went inside once. As Leo had said, there was nothing odd about the place; it was an old but normal house—clean even, probably because of the travelers that had stayed not long ago.

Thus, Arashi took Mika to Leo’s village, and as Arashi had expected, it did not even take a second for the carefree village head to allow Mika and his master live in the deserted house. Mika was satisfied by his new home; he actually marveled at the old-fashioned architecture.

For the next few weeks, Mika and Arashi spent time cleaning and fixing the vacant house for living. In order to quicken the process, Arashi asked some of his friends, Adonis and Souma, for help. Although Mika was somewhat fearful of them at first, he became more relaxed over time.

Now, the house is finally ready, so Mika and his master will move there tomorrow.

“Well, I should leave now,” Mika says, getting up to his feet, “I gotta make dinner fer Master. I…also gotta tell 'im 'bout the move.”

Arashi glances down at his tea, which is still warm. It is disappointing that conversations with Mika can never last long, for he is anxious about leaving his master alone at home.

Hopefully, that changes someday.

“All right, Mika.” Arashi accepts, standing up. “Good luck with talking to him. Don’t get too nervous and be firm about your position! It is also for his own good.”

Mika nods.

“Yer right. Thanks, Naru.”

 

-

 

_Master._

_Master._

_Goodbye—_

Shu’s eyes fly open. He cannot breathe; his lungs crave for fresh air. Panting, he shoves the blankets out of his face. Once more, the gray ceiling welcomes him back to the crippled reality.

Clicking his tongue, Shu shuts his eyes tightly and massages his temples, where a dull pounding lingers. He does not dare to change his position until his breathing and heartbeats have both restored composure.

It was the same sickening nightmare again. Months ago, he would wake up screaming and suffer with unbearable headaches, causing Mika to dart into the bedroom in frenzy. But now, he has gotten so used to it that it does not have a significant effect.

Lethargically, Shu shifts his body to the side. No light enters from between the drooping curtains. Outside the bedroom, a faint sound of plates clanging reaches his ears. Mika must be making dinner. Unfortunately, despite that he refused to have lunch, Shu does not feel hungry; neither does he have much appetite.

Minutes later, quiet knocks ring throughout the room. The door opens.

“Master, are ya up?” Mika asks gingerly, “Dinner’s ready.”

Shu does not move. He does not want to eat but is too tired to raise his voice and express his opinion. He hears Mika’s footsteps approach and halt beside the bed.

“Master,” Mika calls, patting Shu’s shoulder, “Ya should eat at least somethin’. Ya didn’t even eat lunch. C’mon.”

Mika attempts to help Shu sit up. Shu is about to reject Mika’s hands when Mika pauses and adds hesitantly—

“I…also gotta talk ta ya ‘bout somethin’.”

Shu freezes. Stiffly, he looks up at his apprentice. Mika’s eyes waver hazily with a mixture of tension and solid conviction. Shu purses his lips. _Ah, the time must have come._

Mika is leaving him, too.

That’s fine. He is accustomed to being abandoned. He expected this to happen anyway, which is why he has been telling Mika beforehand to not mind him and be free. Mika needs not to be dragged down to a pit of depression and nothingness because of a foolish sense of responsibility.

Actually, Shu is surprised that his apprentice managed to endure his company for this long. Who wouldn’t get sick of looking after a hopelessly broken person?

That’s why—he is not sad or lonely. Everything is fine.

“All right,” Shu accedes flatly.

 

-

 

“We’re movin’ outta this town tomorrow.”

At Mika's startling announcement, Shu frowns and lowers his spoon.

“…What?”

“Ya don’t need ta worry ‘bout anythin’, Master. Mah friend, Naru, already helped me find a house in a nice village, far from ‘ere. We jus’ need ta leave with the things in yer room tomorrow mornin’, and we’ll be all set.”

Shu looks down at his steaming vegetable soup. So that’s why the house seemed more spacious these days, though he hasn’t been in a condition to dwell much on that detail.

This is not what he anticipated Mika to declare so seriously. He was sure Mika would be saying farewell.

“Master?” Mika asks, uneasy over Shu’s prolonged silence, “Won’t ya say somethin’?”

Shu picks up his spoon again. The crease between his eyebrows deepens.

“Why would you decide on such important issue without my permission?”

The question is stern. Mika gathers his fists on his lap under the table.

“I’m sorry ‘bout that, Master. I didn’t wanna disobey ya, but this’ll be the first n’ last time I’ll do. I didn’t tell ya ‘cause I knew ya wouldn’t wanna move. But I can’t let ya go on like this anymore. Naru said that ya could get better if we moved away from ‘ere, and I honestly think the same.”

Although Shu does not reply, he must admit that Mika's prediction is reasonable. Whenever Mika mentioned moving, Shu rejected the suggestion because he finds it futile. Of course, he could have a fresh start and meet new people, but change is the course of nature. In the end, everyone undergoes a change of heart, and relationships fall apart.

What’s worse, regardless of what scars are left as a consequence, people ultimately forget.

“What about your family, Kagehira?”

“They already know. They’ll be fine; I can visit ‘em, jus’ as I do ‘ere, so there ain’t a problem.”

“…I doubt things will change simply because we move to a different place,” Shu mutters indifferently.

“Ya never know ‘til ya try!” Mika protests.

With a resigned sigh, the pink-haired takes a spoonful of his soup. Mika stares at him earnestly.

“Whatever. There is nothing I can do anyway, since you’ve already planned out everything on your own. You may do as you wish, Kagehira.” He pauses. “You may even leave alone.”

“Th—thanks, Master!” Mika laughs with relief. “Of course not! Whatcha sayin’? We’re leavin’ together!”

Shu watches the apprentice resume his meal in an obviously happier state. What a fool. It appears that he will not free himself any time soon.

At the end of dinner, Shu takes a bath and returns to his room. It hits him that it will be the last night he spends here. He looks around; although he has been living in this house for around five or six years, there is nearly nothing to pack. After all—

Slowly, he crosses the room and arrives at the small door that leads to his former marionette atelier in the basement. He raises his hand toward the doorknob but immediately drops it to the side. Back then, he spent most of his time in the atelier, so more than half of his belongings were there.

Until he destroyed and crushed every single one of them with his own hands.

With a grim expression, Shu turns around and trudges to the bed. Sleep invades him as soon as he tucks himself under the blankets, but he forces his eyes to stay open. He is not prepared to confront the tiresome nightmares just yet.

Would they ever stop bothering him?

_Ya never know ‘til ya try!_

Dismissing Mika’s words, Shu buries his face into the pillow. He must not.

Hope is a treacherous thing; it is just like humans, fickle and prone to shatter trust.

 

-

  

“At last, it is tomorrow! I am sure you are as excited as I am!”

A voice echoes, its suppressed enthusiasm contrasting with the calming blackness that envelops the mysterious space.

“Your master may seem harsh, but he is actually a clumsy and charming one. You will be left in safe hands. Please, stay by his side.”

Lithely, a shadow moves past another. Soft, floral-scented current of air caresses the strands of chestnut brown hair.

“I wish you the best of luck, Ms. Marionette.”


	3. Awaken

The sky is still dark when Mika wakes his master up.

They must leave the town before anyone sees them. While a drowsy Shu sluggishly sits up in the warm bed, Mika busily carries the few leftover loads in Shu’s bedroom to the back of the horse cart. Between sleep and wake, Shu reluctantly changes out of his nightclothes and tries to tidy himself as much as he can. A part of him feels distressed at his own bleak and pathetic reflection in the mirror, but he can do nothing except shut his eyes and turn away.

When he steps out of the house, the cold morning air raises goose bumps on his arms. It has been so long since he has been outside. The surroundings feel foreign and menacing, as though somebody were lurking in the dark to assault him. He automatically tenses and looks around with eyes squinted. Mika notices his wariness and pats his shoulders soothingly.

“Don’t worry, Master. There ain’t no one ‘ere.”

Led by Mika, Shu walks over to where his black mare, Valkyrie, and the cart are waiting. As soon as Valkyrie sees Shu, she appears delighted. When he approaches, she gently moves her head towards him and nickers softly, showing her unchanging affection for him.

Mika smiles. “She’s gotten bigger, ain’t it?”

Nodding once in agreement, Shu reaches out and pets her muzzle lightly. He is both grateful and surprised that Valkyrie still recognizes him as her owner, even after his abrupt and prolonged hiding.

“Long time no see,” he murmurs.

Shu and Mika hop on the cart. Though Shu mumbles that it is unnecessary, Mika stubbornly wraps a thick blanket around his master. Then, he gives the reins a short snap, indicating the mare to move forward.

The sun is starting to peek out in the distance. As Valkyrie speeds up to a gallop, neither of the two men cast a backward glance at the abandoned house.

 

-

 

Despite that he’s tired, Shu cannot bring himself to doze off because he is not used to spending so much time outside. While the sun slowly rises high up into the bright sky, he resorts to watching the flowing scenery. The farther they become from their familiar town, the more peaceful and rural the places grow. They pass by countless vast fields of crops that extend far into the horizon, farms where herds of cattle are comfortably feeding on sprouting grass, and trees of distinct sizes and shapes that cover small mountains.

The colorful flowers that have begun blooming on the trees make him realize that spring is already on its way. That means the anniversary of his grandfather's death will also come soon.

When Shu was just a baby, he lost both of his parents in a dreadful accident. To celebrate their marriage anniversary, his parents left him with his grandfather and went on a date to a theater. However, a big fire broke out and killed most of the audience, including his parents. Although the incident is one of the most infamous tragedies in Yumenosaki Kingdom, the cause behind it is still unknown.

Since then, the only person that kept Shu’s side was his grandfather. The old man was a taciturn person who rarely expressed his emotions, so Shu couldn’t understand his deep love until after he passed away. He was always the receiver, while his grandfather, the giver. Whenever he would look upset, his grandfather would invite him to the marionette atelier to lighten up his mood with marionette making. Whenever he would throw a tantrum about not wanting to go to schoolhouse, his grandfather would quietly listen and mutter, _Do whatever you want._

Never would any of his birthdays go by without a present. Valkyrie was the last birthday present from his grandfather. In the morning of the birthday he received Valkyrie, Shu went down to his grandfather’s atelier as usual. His grandfather was absent, but he felt far from alarmed because his grandfather was not the type to announce beforehand where he would be going.

After a few moments, he heard his grandfather calling his name. When Shu ran to the front door to greet him, he saw a wonderful black filly. At first, he thought his grandfather gained the filly as a reward for his marionette show. Nonetheless, the old man looked at him—as composed as ever—and handed him the bridle.

“Happy birthday, Shu.”

Although Shu held no particular love for animals, the filly was a precious present from his grandfather. He named her “Valkyrie” and started to take care of her every day. He also learned riding with the help of his grandfather, though it cost him a significant amount of effort because he had absolutely no talent in physical activities besides dancing.

Furthermore, his grandfather taught him marionette magic as well.

Shu is a descendant of the Five Eccentrics. According to old legends, there were five mages that assisted the first king when Yumenosaki Kingdom was established. Since their names are unknown, they are referred to as the Five Eccentrics. The mages’ descendants were also able to wield magic, and each of them became to practice and refine their powers in several unique areas.

One of these was marionette magic, which mainly consisted of controlling marionettes freely or breathing life into them. The marionettes who awoke would have inherently unique personalities. They would also look and talk exactly like humans, depending on their intended age. On one hand, their interior would still be formed by their original material, and they would lack many physiological functions, such as eating or sleeping. Most importantly, they would be devoid of emotions and gradually acquire them while living with their masters.

As centuries passed, nevertheless, the mages’ supernatural powers raised fear and hatred amongst people, leading mages to be ostracized and isolated. In order to avoid such treatment, the descendants of the Five Eccentrics stopped teaching magic to their children or taught them in secret. Consequently, their magical abilities became extremely limited due to reduced practice and knowledge. Marionette magic was also restricted to solely awakening marionettes.

Shu’s grandfather had taught marionette magic to his son, but for some reason, he strongly refused to pass it onto Shu. It took a long time for Shu to convince the old mage to teach him magic.

After his grandfather abruptly passed away, Shu left his hometown with Valkyrie. Instead, he ensured to visit his grandfather’s grave on every anniversary of his death, but it stopped last spring. From now on, he might not be able to go there again.

He is too ashamed to face his grandfather.

 

-

 

As the sun stealthily slinks down, the serene ocean eventually emerges in the distance. Through the sunlight reflecting off the sky-blue surface, a single boat sails along with the gentle breeze. It floats up and down, carefree and in no specific direction.

Small houses and buildings appear one by one. Shu instinctively lowers his gaze to his lap at the sight of several strangers in the streets. Though it is not cold anymore, his hands clutch uneasily onto the blanket around his body. On the other hand, Mika flashes a shy smile and gives a light-hearted bow at anyone he meets eyes with.

At last, Mika pulls onto the reins, and Valkyrie slows down to a complete halt. The quiet sound of waves echoes from nearby, and the air tastes slightly salty.

“We’ve arrived, Master!”

Shu raises his head cautiously. Contrary to his expectations, the house is less austere than their former one. The intricate vintage designs near the roof stand out, as they make the building look larger. Whoever designed the house must have held some level of interest in antique architecture.

“Ya better look ‘round the house!” Mika suggests as he unlocks the front door and lets Shu step inside.

Unlike Mika, who is trying to act as upbeat as possible, Shu still bears no hope about their upcoming life in this new village. Rather than look around, he would prefer to go to sleep, for the long exposure to the outside world has completely worn him out. Nonetheless, this will be his home from now on, so he ought to know at least the structure of the house for his own convenience.

Just when Mika has led Shu to his bedroom, they hear someone knock energetically on the front door. Mika answers back and hurries away to tend to the visitor. By the voice, Shu guesses it must be a man; his loud and cheery laughter pricks the sensitive marionette master’s ears annoyingly. Frowning, Shu walks farther away from the front door to check the other three rooms near his.

After inspecting Mika’s bedroom and the bathroom, he arrives in front of the third room at the end of the short corridor. Expecting it to be the storage room, he opens the door. The first thing he sees is a disarrayed maze of storage boxes amongst the specks of dust.

Then, a young woman, dozing off on one of his old, broken chairs.

The unanticipated presence frightens Shu to such an extent that he is not even able to scream as he stumbles back. Only a choked gasp manages to escape from his lips. However, the shock only lasts for a short second because his former experiences rapidly alarm him that there is something familiar about the intruder.

Shu blinks and speculates the woman once more; despite her striking resemblance to a human being, she is actually a—

“…Marionette?” he whispers.

Puzzled, Shu carefully enters the room and walks around the storage boxes for confirmation. He cannot be mistaken; though sized and painted superbly, the “young woman” is only a wooden marionette. She looks a little bit younger than he—perhaps, around the age of Mika. Her clothes and skin appear clean compared to the dirty surroundings, so she must have been made recently.

Shu heaves a sharp sigh. A wave of exasperation and chagrin swarms into his chest. Surely, Mika received her from someone and brought her here. Or perhaps, he requested another marionette master to make her in hopes that she would erase their past scars.

Well, unfortunately for his failure of an apprentice, he is _not_ planning to awaken more marionettes.

Even while containing the distasteful need to scold Mika, Shu cannot help speculating the sleeping marionette woman. Undoubtedly, her master put a considerable amount of effort into her fabrication. There are barely any signs of carving on her skin. The layers of paint have been applied meticulously, and so are the decorations and designs on her dress. Her long eyelashes and chestnut-brown hair seem delicate and glossy; they are not made out of ordinary fabrics that most marionette masters use.

 _Très bien._ Shu’s purple eyes waver with wonder. She is a masterpiece.

Coming from him, who is extremely particular about marionettes, “masterpiece” is miles away from a trivial compliment. Actually, he is yet to meet another marionette master he could acknowledge as his equal. His former self would have been quite pleased to meet her master. Had it been someone with this much talent, they could have shared some of their interests.

Shu reaches forward to touch the marionette’s creamy cheek. He wants to examine how smoothly her skin has been sculpted—

_Itsuki, do you know how many times he said, "I wish the person who awoke me were not him?”_

_Do you know how many times he said, “I wish I could be free from him?”_

The unbearable slice of memory shoots a slash of pain through his chest. The tips of his fingers quiver weakly, deprived of their destination. Clenching his jaw in grief, Shu retrieves his hand and whirls back to flee from the room. He must tell Mika to dispose of that marionette right away.

No longer can he wear the name of a marionette master. The threads that were connecting him to the world, to the people around him, to his dearest marionette, have been severed.

“Wait, sir.”

Confounded, Shu freezes in place. A voice just called out to him. A stranger’s voice.

The voice of a—young woman.

Oh, he must be hallucinating again. Calming himself down, Shu turns around. But his breathing instantly shakes as his gaze meets another.

The marionette’s eyes are _open._

His thoughts fly into panic. Is this a new kind of nightmare? He shakes his head and rubs his eyes to force himself back to reality, but his attempts are futile. Nothing happens.

What has he done? He did not hold even an ounce of will to give her life, so his powers should have stayed under control. They should not have come in contact with her.

Did he become so incapable due to lack of practice that the magic acted on its own?

Oblivious of the bewildered mage, the live marionette momentarily looks down to inspect her own body. Curiously, she wiggles her fingers and stretches her legs.

Soon, her radiant aqua orbs rise once more, locking with his lavender ones. The lack of emotions on her beautiful features reminds him of a cruel history that he can neither forget nor repeat. Her small lips move gingerly, like those of a baby.

“You must be my ‘Master.’”

 

-

 

“I am staying with you, Master.”

The marionette’s words come flat and quiet, as though she were stating a self-explained truth. On the other hand, her master is absolutely horrified.

“ _NON!_ Absurd!” Stomping across the living room, Shu glares at the young woman. “You are not staying here, girl!”

Stuck in the argument, Mika anxiously looks at the two people—one mage and one marionette. He coughs and smiles stiffly at Shu.

“Er… Master, I get that yer awful bothered by the situation, but if she doesn’t stay with us, she's got nowhere ta go.”

“Of course, she does!” Shu snaps, pointing at the front door, “She can go with that irritating village head, so that he can send her to some other villager!”

“That ain’t gonna make much sense. I already lied that she’s another apprentice...”

Shu clicks his tongue. Much to his shock, he discovered that it was not Mika who brought her to their new home. He realized it when Mika came to the storage room to take him to Leo, and was dumbstruck to see another stranger.

“Wh—who’s she, Master?” Mika stuttered.

Since Shu did not have time to explain, he told the marionette to remain in the storage room and ushered Mika to the front door to meet Leo. Nonetheless, she disobeyed and suddenly appeared in the living room during their greetings. As soon as Leo saw the young woman, he assumed that she and Shu were lovers. Disconcerted by the misunderstanding, Shu was left speechless, and Mika instinctively lied that she was a new apprentice.

Now, Shu and Mika are left with the marionette of mysterious origins. Neither of them has any idea who made her or how and why that person left her here.

There is only one possible culprit whom Shu can think of: Eichi Tenshouin.

As one of the most powerful aristocrat families in the kingdom, the Tenshouin family has a lot of connections. For Eichi, it would have been mere child’s play to trace their whereabouts and order a new marionette to be sent here. 

Shu’s chest tightens with anxiety. In that case, that woman must leave at once. It is for everyone’s benefit, including herself. Were she to linger by his side, they might all become protagonists in Eichi’s devilish script, with her as one more victim.

But then again, having him send her away could be a part of Eichi’s shrewd plan. Shu cannot exclude the fearful possibility that one of Eichi’s acquaintances lives in this village. What if sending her away reveals his identity as a mage and releases another chain of risky consequences?

After a long deliberation, Shu lets out a disturbed sigh and looks sternly at the marionette. “All ri—"

“I have decided to learn about this world by your side, Master.”

Caught off guard by the immediate interruption, he raises his eyebrows. She must have thought that he was going to tell her to leave again. He stares into her eyes. Belying her detached tone, her eyes hint a firm resolve under the profound blue.

This woman is truly an odd one. Live marionettes possess common knowledge about the world but no specific knowledge about people. Yet, she recognized him as her master at one glance. Moreover, she wishes to stay with him despite not knowing what kind of person he is.

She will regret it. 

Regardless, as his grandfather always emphasized, marionettes obtain their own will once they awaken. Shu understands well that ignoring that fact leads to sorrow.

He shakes his hand haughtily. “I’ve understood, girl. Be quiet and let me speak for a moment. All right, you may stay, but you must swear—you cannot get out of this house under any circumstances _unless_ you have my permission.”

The impassive marionette bows politely.

“I swear on the precious life you’ve bestowed me, Master. Thank you.”

Her shoulders have become more relaxed, so she must be relieved. She herself must not realize it, but it may be the first emotion she learns to feel.

 

-

 

It is late night, but Mika cannot fall asleep easily. He tosses around under the covers restlessly, pulling Shu’s handmade teddy bear into his arms.

He fully supports Shu’s decision to let the marionette stay with them and be on alert for the time being. It is their safest choice, considering what Eichi Tenshouin is capable of. But he cannot help pricking his ears, just in case he hears his master screaming for help.

The marionette woman is alone in the living room. He can sometimes hear her quiet footsteps. Since marionettes do not sleep, a part of him is afraid that she might do harm to Shu while they are asleep.

It is a futile concern, of course, because he knows that she herself poses no threat. Even if her creation were to have some connection to Eichi, she holds no knowledge about him. Since she is nothing but an innocent tool, Mika feels a bit sympathetic for her. 

Due to such mixed feelings, a part of him does not really want the marionette woman to be sent away. She reminds him of their kind former companion as well, whom he thought of as his older brother. Mournfully, Mika gazes down at the teddy bear; its green sweater has the design of a white rabbit.

“I miss 'im,” he whispers to the doll, smoothening out the creases on its sweater, “Ya do too, dontcha?”


	4. Illumination

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, Enstars anime is airing! Congrats to Anzu's debut :DD

It is another sunny afternoon. The marionette is sitting quietly beside the window. Materials for sewing handicrafts are resting on her lap, but her hands are not busy at the moment. Her aquamarine eyes are fixed on the bright scenery outside.

Flowers have bloomed in the small garden in front of the house. Although she knows about flowers and their common characteristics, she has never actually smelled their fragrance or touched them. Their scent is supposedly refreshing and pleasant, but what exactly would that smell like? She is also curious about the petals’ texture against her fingertips. How would their softness differ from that of a silky fabric?

What about that green grass and those fluttering tree leaves? Those small stones, buried in the soil? How would they feel? Oh, and those colorful birds and butterflies, flying freely from branch to branch, flower to flower? The shining ocean, stretching out beyond the garden? How would they look from a closer distance?

Her head is filled with countless queries that cannot be answered. The young woman heaves a deep sigh. She understands that any thoughts about the outside world indirectly go against her master’s wishes that constrains her within this house. Nonetheless, they are growing harder to suppress with passing days.

“Somethin’ up?”

Reluctantly, the marionette tears her gaze away from the flowers and faces Mika, who is looking at her with furrowed brows. The frown hints her that he is expressing an emotion, but she is yet to be completely sure about what it might be.

Mika is sitting by the table in the living room. He is also sewing new handicrafts that will be sold in the village. Since the marionette offered to help him, he has been teaching her how to sew. At first, he was somewhat worried because she remained too serious while sewing, but she soon revealed that she found it “fun.” He must admit, she is a fast learner—much faster than he was when Shu taught him.

“I just have a lot of questions on my mind,” the woman replies.

“Questions?” Mika echoes. “What’re they ‘bout? I could answer ‘em fer ya.”

She is about to decline his offer, but instead voices a more crucial question that has been lingering since her awakening.

“Why does Master only stay in his room?”

Mika stiffens. He hangs his head forlornly.

“He’s…scared, ya could say.”

“Scared?”

The marionette cocks her head to the side. She glances out the window, where bees are peacefully buzzing about amongst the flowers.

“Is that the same reason,” she murmurs, “he refuses to go outside?”

“…Yeah.”

“I see.”

Clearly distressed, Mika rubs the back of his neck. “Sorry, I can’t really explain… It’s kinda complicated.”

“It’s fine.”

Mika’s downcast reaction unsettles her. He always smiles whenever he talks about Shu. Once, she pointed this out with interest, and he explained that it is because anything related to his master makes him happy.

Whatever the cause is behind Shu’s self-confinement, it must be something upsetting.

“The truth is, I want to go outside, Mika.”

Mika blinks at her abrupt confession. She continues, her calm voice growing an infinitesimally impatient edge.

“I enjoy sewing, but I don’t think it is enough. I want to see the outside world.”

He bites down on his lower lip. He empathizes with her yearning. It has been nearly two weeks since her appearance, and she has been indoors all along. He also stayed indoors for some time, but after a week, he convinced Shu that he had to start selling handicrafts before their food supply could run out. For sure, he was a little concerned to leave his master alone with the marionette, but he had no choice. Furthermore, he wanted to inspect the village to search for any signs of Eichi’s connections.

To his relief, the marionette truly appeared to care for him and Shu. Whenever he did household chores, she would come for his aid and divide the work with him. She would ensure to check on Shu’s condition each morning and night. After starting to sew, she would often practice it for the entire night while the two men slept. Shocked, Mika asked whether she did not get tired, but she simply shook her head.

“I am not exactly human. You don’t need to worry about that.”

“I know, but still…” Mika mumbled.

“I want to get better as fast as possible so that I can be of help to you.”

Her words were uttered matter-of-factly, but Mika felt touched. He could feel that she was speaking earnestly.

In addition, he found nothing suspicious about the villagers that he met while selling the handicrafts. They only welcomed their new neighbor with kind smiles and thoroughly expressed their amazement at his handicraft-making abilities. Some have started to become his regular customers.

Nonetheless, a trauma is not easy to overcome. Despite Mika’s compliments about the village and its people, Shu is still tense due to the possibility that Eichi might be after him again. He stays in his bedroom for most of the day and does not dare to let the marionette go outside, let alone give her a name.

Mika understands Shu’s apprehension of the current situation, but he strongly wants to trust that this village is safe. After all, his most precious friend, Arashi, found it for them. Plus, he came here for Shu to have a fresh start, so pursuing isolation for too long will make their move pointless.

“What if we ask Master to go outside with us?”

The marionette’s quiet suggestion pulls Mika out of his reverie.

“I don’t know how long he has been in this state, but I don’t think it is good for him. Perhaps, if we go out all together, he won’t be as scared.”

Her consideration for Shu suddenly makes Mika’s chest feel full. It is an unfamiliar but pleasant sense of camaraderie. Regardless of their difference, they hold the same affection for their master.

With nobody—not even Arashi or his family—has he been able to share such feelings.

“Yeah, yer right.” He nods in whole-hearted agreement and stands up. “Let’s go!”

 

-

 

“Master, ya wanna go fer a walk? The weather’s real nice! Let’s get some fresh air.”

From the bed, Shu gapes at his apprentices. Since the time is a bit too early for lunch, he was wondering what they were coming in for, but Mika’s enthusiastic suggestion has caught him by surprise.

“We ain't stayin' fer that long. It’s also ‘bout time fer her—” Mika gestures at the marionette, “—ta see the outside world, ain’t it?”

The marionette master glances at the young brunette, standing calmly beside Mika. Perhaps, she asked Mika to allow her to go outside.

Hesitant, Shu grips onto the edges of his blanket. It is true that she has remained indoors for too long. If she wishes to explore outside, locking her up against that will is the same as torture.

Although he is still unsure about whether the boundaries outside the house can guarantee everyone’s safety, Mika already has experience at the village. If people come around, Mika will be there to steer her away from any suspicious conversations or circumstances.

“All right,” Shu finally mumbles, “You two may go.”

Mika frowns as his master begins to lie back down again.

“Wait, Master. We ain’t goin’ without ya.”

“Do not mind me. Go out by yourselves.”

“We won’t,” the marionette speaks up, “We can’t.”

Shu stops and narrows his eyes at the determined woman.

“Well, then,” he mutters under his breath, “Nobody will be going out, I suppose.”

“Master,” Mika tries again, “Ya don’t need ta—"

“If you have nothing else to say, get out of my room,” Shu interrupts sternly, hiding again under the covers.

The apprentices exchange a disappointed look before exiting the room quietly. Shu heaves a sigh of relief.

Nonetheless, the same cycle of invitation and rejection starts repeating every day since then. As the week continues, Mika and the marionette’s persistence gradually grow stronger, and along with it, their time in Shu’s room lengthens. 

At last, the stubborn marionette master loses his patience. When his apprentices visit his room to persuade him once more, he shakes his head and directs a vexed frown at the marionette.

“Girl, leave the room for a moment,” he orders in a steely voice, “I want to speak alone with Kagehira.”

Mika appears perplexed, but the woman simply nods. After a light bow, she steps out of the room and politely shuts the door. Immediately, Shu scowls at Mika, who flinches lightly.

“Kagehira, what in the world are you thinking, bothering me like this every day? The girl does not know about the disturbing situation we might be in, but you do! And you still dare to invite me to go outside? You know what that could entail!”

Mika swallows hard and squares his shoulders.

“Master, I get that yer worried. I’m also worried. But we’ve waited enough. I think we’re safe ‘ere. As I said, the villagers’re real kind, too.”

“But how can you be sure that none of them are associated with Tenshouin?” Shu refutes, clenching his hands into fists, “Words can always be invented; smiles can always be forced. You cannot trust people that easily! If you do, you will only become a gullible fool.”

“Master, if ya see things that way, yer gonna stay in bed forever. We’re no mind-readers, ain’t it?” Mika smiles nervously. “We gotta take risks. We came ‘ere fer ya ta be free from the past, so lockin’ yerself up ain’t gonna help.”

“…We came here for _me_ to be free?”

Shu's lips quiver. Suddenly overcome by suppressed grief and frustration, he ends up bursting in rage.

“Rather, I think we might have come here for _you_ to be free, Kagehira!”

“Nnah?” Taken aback, Mika stutters. “M—master, what’re ya sayin’?”

“I already told you that nothing will change for me even if we move, because—you know what? I am barely ready to be free from the past!” Shu shakes his head, his bemoaning drowned in misery. “I destroyed my one and only companion, the sole existence whom I believed would not leave my side! That horrendous truth still haunts me every single second!”

“Master…”

Mika feels a thick lump rise in his throat. Shu laughs dryly.

“But you…you are different, Kagehira. You moved on perfectly. You are ready to be _free_. For you, it was simply a transient and insignificant accident.”

The apprentice gasps. Frantically, he shakes his head. “Master, that ain’t true at all! I—"

“And yet, you pretend to understand how I feel, and it is absolutely despicable!" Shu roars, "This is why I never wanted you by my side, _Failure!”_

As soon as the vicious accusation spills out of his lips, Shu realizes that he has gone too far, but the regret is blinded thickly by temporary indignation. Mika’s dumbstruck face has turned pallid with hurt. He droops his head as the tears trickle down his cheeks.

“…I know ya didn’t,” he murmurs, his voice breaking.

Weakly, he turns away. His small back looks so sorrowful, so lonely that Shu feels his chest throb dully. Mika opens the door.

“Master, I never forgot ‘bout ‘im. I miss ‘im a lot, too. I think ‘bout ‘im every day,” he laments, “But I’m tryin’, I’m carryin’ on ‘cause _yer_ still ‘ere.”

The door closes, creaking sadly. Shu stares at it in silence. After a long moment, he sighs and buries his face in his palms. His head pounds again, but the pain feels numb.

 

-

 

After the argument, Shu refuses to eat dinner. The marionette wavers a little by the doorway, as if to persuade him, but does not say anything in the end.

The next day, he wakes up at the faint sound of the front door opening. Mika must be going out. Shu hears him and the woman, sharing a short conversation before saying goodbye.

A few moments later, the marionette’s footsteps come toward his room. Shu does not react when she quietly knocks and opens the door.

“Master,” she calls tentatively, “Are you awake?”

“…What is it?” he asks gruffly.

“I’ve brought breakfast.” She glances down at the tray in her hands. “I could bring it later.”

“It’s fine.”

As Shu sits up on the bed, she takes the tray to him. He begins eating the soup, and she sits down on the chair beside the bed. Soon, his spoon stops midway.

“Is something wrong?” she asks.

“No.” He pauses. “Did Kagehira make this?”

“No, I made it.”

“I see.” He raises the spoon again. Somehow, he sensed that the taste was slightly different from Mika’s usual soups. “Did he teach you?”

“Yes. I asked him to.”

“...I did not know that.”

She bites down on her lower lip. “Does it…taste bad?”

“Not really.”

Silence follows. When the bottom of the bowl is nearly showing itself, Shu stops eating again.

“What about Kagehira?” he asks.

“He went out to sell handicrafts,” the brunette replies.

He does not say anything more. The marionette peeks at her stoic master.

While washing the dishes, she cannot help dwelling on Shu and Mika. Although Shu’s question was thrown nonchalantly, he must be anxious about Mika.

She does not know the reason behind their sudden fight. Since she thought overhearing was inappropriate, she was waiting in the living room after Shu sent her out yesterday. Despite that, she guesses that it must be related to Shu’s adamant self-isolation.

In the morning, Mika’s eyes were red and swollen. She was quite concerned, but he flashed a bright grin and reassured that he would apologize to Shu when he came back.

If only she could be of some help.

 

-

 

Shu stares at the antique jewelry box in his hands.

Once, he wondered if he should dispose of it along with the materials for marionette shows, but ended up keeping it. Since then, it has always remained in the back of his small bedside drawer.

When he lifts the cover, the incorporated music box activates, and a soft tune starts to play. Two miniature puppets slowly dance around in his hands. The jewelry box still holds all the old accessories he and his apprentices used to wear during performances. At the very top, however, are a folded letter and a white hair ribbon. Shu’s amethyst orbs fill with loneliness as he reaches for the ribbon. It is old and grimy, stained with large dirt marks.

Both he and Mika lost a precious existence in their lives; however, unlike him, his apprentice did not fall apart—at least, while in front of him. Due to that strong front, he failed to imagine how much Mika could have been suffering by himself.

Shu’s fingers tighten around the ribbon. How pathetic. In the end, he did not learn from his mistakes.

Once again, he was too concentrated on his own scars to notice the feelings of those around him.

_This is why I told that fool to leave…_

Out of the blue, he hears footsteps in the corridor outside his room. With a jump, he snaps the jewelry box shut before putting it back into the drawer. Swiftly, he shoves the drawer close and sits upright on the bed, preparing for the marionette to knock.

Nevertheless, she only lingers in front of his room. Her shadow wanders and pauses repeatedly beneath the door. Then, her footsteps skitter towards the living room, only to return shortly and roam in front of his door again.

For some reason, Shu finds her conspicuous hesitation strangely amusing. With a snort, he rolls his eyes and climbs out of the bed. He walks over to the door and flings it open.

The marionette, who was crouching down by the door, immediately gasps and stands up. She whirls back to face her master and bows.

“What are you doing, girl?” Shu questions, raising his eyebrows, “Don’t you know how bothersome it is when I keep hearing someone roaming in front of my room?”

“I—I'm sorry,” she sputters despite the straight face, “I have something to tell you.”

He crosses his arms. “What is it?”

The woman wavers once more but rapidly gathers courage. Shu blinks when she takes a step forward and takes both of his hands in hers.

“Let’s go outside together right now!”

His eyebrows pull together. 

“...That again?” he mutters gruffly, looking away, “Girl, I do not want to talk about that.”

“Master, I know you are scared.”

The proud man freezes, offended by her last word. He scowls. “I am not sc—”

“But so am I. I have never actually been outside. I am curious, but scared as well.”

Shu purses his lips.

“That is not the issue in my case,” he grumbles, “You do not understand.”

“I know I do not understand,” she acknowledges, “Neither do I understand what you are afraid of, nor what could be threatening you out there.”

Resolutely, she locks her aquamarine eyes with his. Her grip tightens around his hands.

“But I promise you—whatever happens, you will have me and Mika. And I will be there to protect you. With my own life, if I must.”

The solemn declaration leaves him speechless for a second. Her pure fidelity moves his cold heart, until it hits him that her conviction is more suiting for a battlefield. He snorts a short laugh as he pulls his hands away.

“You are exaggerating, girl,” he says, “Plus, you are just a newborn marionette. Do you actually think you can protect me?”

“I do.”

The faith in her voice is real. Even though he is her master, how can she be so devoted if she does not even understand him wholly? With a resigned sigh, Shu turns around and walks back into his room.

“Really, what an odd one you are.”

 

-

 

 

“Master, tell me at once if you feel anxious, all right?”

The marionette and her master are sitting together on the small bench in the porch. Miraculously, Shu agreed to go outside with her, but since she noticed that he looked slightly queasy, she suggested to only stay in the porch for today and go farther in the future.

Shu clears his throat. She finds him staring pointedly at their clasped hands on the bench.

“Girl, I find this position troublesome. Let go of my hand.”

“But I am doing this for reassurance—so that you can truly feel that you have someone beside you.”

“Ridiculous. You are treating me like a child,” he counters, “Although I am indeed uncomfortable outside, I don’t need this kind of reassurance.”

She ignores his complaint. Instead, she carries on to enjoying the splendid panorama in front of her. Even though she is doing nothing but sitting still, she feels unbearably ecstatic and awed. From the fresh grass in the garden to the glittering ocean—everything looks like a wonderful paradise.

Her fingers curl more closely around her master's hand. Had she remained a doll, she would not have been able to witness such breathtaking beauty.

In the meantime, Shu is busily checking for any sight of strangers. Was coming outside really the correct choice? He decided on this because he does not want to repeat his past mistakes anymore, but he is still dubious. He hopes he is not putting those around him in danger—

“Master, look.”

Shu glances at the marionette, who is staring into the distance. He is still bothered that she refuses to release his hand, but at least, her temperature is unlike that of a human, so his hand does not get sweaty.

“What?” he asks.

She points at a small boat, floating in the ocean. “The people in that boat are waving at us.”

Shu squints at the boat but cannot see well because of the sparkling sunlight. He finds the boat familiar, nevertheless; it might be the same one that was sailing on the day he arrived at the village.

Abruptly, the marionette raises her free hand and waves back. Frightened, Shu quickly grabs her wrist to stop her.

“Don’t.”

She looks at him with puzzlement. “But they are greeting us.”

“It doesn’t matter,” he dismisses, “Ignore them.”

Somehow, his voice sounds similar to a plea. She notices that his shoulders have become hunched, and his hand in hers is stiff.

“All right, I will,” she reassures him, “I’m sorry.”

Even after she stays still, Shu does not tear his skeptical eyes off of the boat. Her thoughts flit back to his uneasiness about the outside world, but rather than ponder over the topic, she decides that it is more important to alleviate his disquiet.

“By the way, I heard from Mika that you are very proficient at sewing,” she changes the subject.

“I am,” he confirms without hesitation.

“Then, could you coach me on sewing as well?”

“Is Kagehira’s advice not good enough?”

“It is good, of course. But Mika is quite busy, so he cannot teach me every day, and practicing by myself has its limitations. I want to become adept as fast as possible so that I can help him.”

Her willingness washes him with embarrassment. Whereas even this recently awoken marionette has been having such benign goals, he has been stuck in his room, entirely dependent and wasting his abilities.

“I will think about it,” he mumbles diffidently.

“Thank you.”

From now on, maybe, just maybe, he could at least help Mika with making new handicrafts, though he cannot go out to sell. If Mika actually returns, that is to say; he might have had a change of heart after the fight.

“Master, how long have you and Mika known each other?” the woman asks.

“A—” Shu pauses warily. “Why?”

“Because you two seem to share a deep bond. I thought you have known each other for a long time.”

“We haven’t known each other for that long.”

“And yet, he is so devoted to you,” she whispers, “That’s admirable.”

“It is not admirable but unwise,” Shu corrects bitterly, “That fool doesn’t realize that his obstinacy only makes things harder for himself; he is better off leaving.”

“I believe it is the opposite. Doesn’t he have the motivation to go forward _because_ he cares about you?”

Shu starts, reminded of Mika’s last words. He looks down at his lap.

“You must be saying that because you are concerned about him. But from what I’ve seen so far, I doubt he will leave even if you tell him to do so. It is your presence that gives him strength.”

“That’s...”

“Isn’t it the same for you, Master?”

She regards the reticent man deliberately. He opens his mouth to avoid her question, but no reasonable method comes to his head.

“If so, why don’t you make up with him when he returns?” she suggests tenderly.

His eyes widen. The marionette is smiling. Faintly, but for certain, it is there. Cordial and warm.

He did not expect this moment to come so fast. Based on his prior experience, it takes more time for live marionettes to show facial expressions. It might be because she has been in contact with his and Mika’s charged exchange yesterday, but it is unclear for she is an anomaly at many things.

Since the moment he saw her in the dusty storage, he was mesmerized by her flawlessness, but the subtle human trait seems to enhance her charm from when she was simply an inanimate doll. She feels less foreign. 

After all, he is ultimately a human before a mage.

“…Master?”

She calls curiously. Shu blinks to meet her turquoise eyes. Their faces are closer than what he would consider courteous. His heart skips a beat.

“Nnah? Master?!”

With a jolt, Shu pulls away from her in a fluster, while the unruffled marionette shifts her position to greet at a shocked Mika in the garden. She lets go of Shu’s hand and waves.

“Welcome back, Mika.”

Openmouthed, Mika stares at Shu for a long second. Then, he dashes forward and throws his arms around his master.

“ _Non!_ Wh—what are you doing, Kagehira?!” Shu wheezes, “I can’t breathe—”

“Master, yer outside! I—I’m so happy!”

Mika cries, half in tears. It is as though he has completely forgotten about the fight and Shu’s cruel words. In the spur of the moment, Shu’s gaze lands on the quiet woman, who is smiling a little more clearly as she watches them. _See?_ Her eyes whisper triumphantly, _you are indispensable to him._

Shu snorts as Mika lets go of him.

“D—don’t be so loud, Kagehira. I was about to go back in.”

Brusquely, he stands up and walks away, only to halt after opening the front door. He glances back at Mika, who is sniffling and wiping his delighted tears.

“I lost my composure yesterday, unlike myself,” he mutters, clearing his throat awkwardly, “I am sorry that I made such an unsightly scene, Kagehira.”

Mika’s innocent eyes widen. Breaking into an elated beam, he lunges forward and clings to Shu’s arm like a thrilled child.

“Not at all, Master! It was totally mah fault! I’m sorry, too!” he exclaims, laughing.

“Wh— _non!_ ” Shu growls, embarrassed, “Take your hands off of me, Kagehira!”

“I’m gonna stay with ya forever!”

When Shu has rushed back into the house, Mika looks cheerfully at the marionette.

“Ya got Master ta come out, ain’t it? Thanks so much!” He scratches the back of his neck in shame. “Man, I’m useless, huh? Yer amazin’. Ya did somethin’ I couldn’t do fer so long.”

She shakes her head.

“It was not me; it was _you_.”


	5. Bloom

Dreams. As a marionette, she can only imagine how they must feel.

However, whenever she closes her eyes, a peculiar vision she experienced in her awakening still lingers in her head—something that feels too surreal to be called a memory.

So she has decided to call it a 'dream.'

The scent of flowers, and an amiable voice, whispering in the dark. It is a voice that she cannot identify; it might be her own, or someone else’s. But its words rang in her mind since she first opened her eyes to a most extraordinary marionette mage.

_Please, stay by his side._

She complied.

 

-

 

Spring takes one and another step forward.

Every afternoon, Shu goes out to the porch with Mika and the marionette. Sitting together on the bench—Shu is always in the middle—they watch the sun sink stealthily behind the rippling orange horizon. While Shu remains mostly silent, his apprentices chat about trivial subjects, such as candy flavors and adorable animals. Under the marionette’s curious request, Mika relates some of his own anecdotes about the world, and she listens with glowing interest. Whenever she throws a question that is troublesome to explain, he glances pleadingly at Shu for aid, to which the master clicks his tongue in disapproval but genially intervenes.

Although Shu still feels wary when he spots any strangers in the distance, his body gradually becomes more relaxed and accustomed to being outside. The surroundings are peaceful, and townspeople seldom approach their house. A few care enough to wave or bow from afar as a form of courteous greeting, but most are occupied with their own lives while they saunter as a couple along the beach, or play with their friends in the sea.

Once, a white butterfly flies into the porch and gently rests on the wooden railing. The marionette instantly jumps to her feet to have a closer look, but it goes away before she can even take a step forward. Shu peeks at her composed countenance; though reserved, her eyes continue to chase in regret after the butterfly, wandering amongst the flowers. He purses his lips.

The garden is right in front of the porch. Is there even a significant difference between the porch and the garden? Both are still within the properties of the house.

After a calm brooding, Shu stands up with determination.

“We are going to the garden.”

Both apprentices whirl toward him. The brunette’s expression is unreadable, whereas Mika’s is bathed in stupefaction. Frowning, Shu awkwardly evades their uncomfortable stare.

The marionette is the first to react. Sky-blue orbs radiating enthusiasm, she swiftly grabs Shu and Mika’s hands to usher them out of the porch. The white butterfly rises softly into the air once more, drawing out a glimpse of her faint smile.

Since that day, spending time in the garden becomes a routine. Shu, however, personally prefers to rest on the bench—his legs tire easily—so he sometimes stays in the porch and watches over his apprentices, cheerfully walking around the garden. Since he has restarted sewing handicrafts, he ensures to bring along some sewing materials to carry out his hobby at the same time.

Nonetheless, he must endure the marionette’s distracting looks. Even while trifling at the garden, she throws constant stares at him, as if confirming his safety. Somehow, her watchful behavior makes him feel like a pathetic brat, looked after by a concerned mother. Of course, her embarrassing attitude is understandable; she is unlike Mika, who is aware of what exactly about the outside world aggravates him. Yet, the proud master cannot deny that it bothers him.

He gets the chance to speak out his mind during their sewing session. Having decided to restart sewing, he contemplated on her request to instruct her and considered it fair. After all, he could also refresh his own memories about sewing techniques while helping her. Just as Mika said, she is a fast learner; she does not hold back any questions and makes sure to practice by herself at nights.

In one of the sessions, Shu catches her sewing quite recklessly, the sharp needle tip dangerously close to her fingers. The scene bothers him, but he tries not to care. Marionettes cannot feel physical pain; neither do they bleed. Serious injuries can create cracks on their bodies or even shatter them, but only faint marks will be left on their skin as soon as they are cured by magic.

However, he finds himself unable to concentrate on his own work. Since he detests the sight of blood, he tends to be very strict about keeping the needle a safe distance away. As his student, she should not disobey those rules.

“Girl!” Shu finally calls out.

The marionette looks up. “Yes?”

“Can you be any more careless?” he scolds in displeasure, “You are about to prick your fingers every time you move the needle! You need to correct your posture!”

She glances at the needle before cocking her head lightly.

“You don’t need to be that protective, Master. I am not human.”

His eyebrows pull together. He knew she would say that.

“ _Non!_ That doesn’t matter. You must maintain a secure and refined posture at all times. Sewing for a long time without letting the needle prick your fingers is a proof that you have become skilled at sewing.”

“…I see,” she accepts, “In that case, I will try to be more careful.”

“Gosh,” he grumbles, “On top of that, I don’t think you deserve to complain about me being ‘protective.’”

“Huh?”

“Do you think I haven’t noticed your obvious stares whenever we are outside? You make me feel helpless, girl.”

The brunette’s hands halt. She droops her gaze to the patterns on the wooden table.

“I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Master. I didn’t mean to,” she apologizes cautiously, “But I don’t want to break the oath to protect you.”

He rolls his eyes. “Just because you play in the garden, it doesn’t mean that you are breaking that promise. Plus, I already said that such promise is unnecessary, so you can revoke it.”

She considers his suggestion thoughtfully. Would revoking the promise prevent her from feeling on edge to see him alone? She finds herself doubtful. Somehow, her instinct warns her that even if she were freed from the promise, the anxiety will not go away so easily.

Shu notices her conflict and heaves a sigh.

“All right. If I tell you what bothers me about the outside world, would you be able to control yourself?”

His resigned question makes her head snap up. She did not anticipate him to make such a bold offer.

“Yes, that would certainly help,” she agrees.

There is no reason she would not jump at this precious opportunity. She has wanted to know what aspect of the world he struggles so much to avoid, but has been patiently waiting until he himself decided to speak of it. Furthermore, knowing the cause of his uneasiness might actually be more relieving for her.

Shu remains silent for a moment, as though hesitating. At last, he murmurs gruffly under his breath.

“I dislike people.”

“People…”

Immediately, the marionette recalls when he prevented her from greeting the strangers in the boat. Come to think of it, he also looked oddly tense at the sight of people during his time in the porch.

“Did somebody hurt you?”

She asks carefully. If he has been physically abused by others, his aversion makes sense.

Shu lets out a dry chuckle.

“Well, yes. Many times,” he mutters acidly, “And in various ways.”

He resumes sewing as though the conversation never happened, and she copies him. However, she keeps pondering over his ambiguous answer. Many times. In various ways. Perhaps, he suffered continuous physical abuse from others. Why would anyone do such terrible thing? From what little she has seen since her birth, Shu appears to be cold and sharp-tongued, but does not seem to be the type of person that would offend others on purpose. Also, she can tell that he actually cares and worries about Mika underneath the brusque attitude. When he admitted that Mika is better off leaving, he unconsciously revealed that he has been considering what is best for Mika.

The marionette glimpses at her master, who is thoroughly concentrated on perfecting his new beautiful handicraft. The handicraft that will be part of Mika’s basket to sell at the market tomorrow.

Her conviction strengthens. When Shu broke through his dark self-isolation for Mika, she was impressed by their strong bond. She wished she could also become somebody who could bring about a good change in Shu.

The dream has ended. She has awoken, and it is her will that chooses her home.

 

- 

 

Early afternoon, the three people in the Itsuki residence are focused on each of their own errand. Shu is sewing handicrafts in his room. Mika and the marionette have decided to clean the house; Mika is wiping the dust off of the furniture in his room, while the marionette is sweeping the living room floor with a broom.

Abruptly, loud knocks on the front door interrupt their work.

The marionette stops sweeping. Mika pokes his head out of the room. They exchange a quizzical look. The possible appearance of a visitor is unsettling. Due to Shu’s current wariness, Mika would never invite anyone over to their house. Actually, the marionette master has disliked having outsiders in his home since before his isolation, so they have rarely received guests anyway.

“That’s weird. Nobody’d come ‘ere,” Mika mumbles nervously as he scurries to the front door, “I bet someone made a mistake.”

“Yes,” the marionette agrees, “Or maybe it’s the village head.”

Mika nods. “Who’s it?” he asks loudly towards the door.

“It’s me, Mika!”

As soon as the ebullient voice shouts back, Mika’s eyes grow large. Swiftly, he throws the door open and gapes at the unexpected visitor.

“Long time no see!” Arashi exclaims happily, throwing his arms around a confounded Mika, “I missed you!”

“Na—Naru?!” Mika stammers, stiffly returning the embrace, “How come yer ‘ere?!”

“Oh, come on! Is that the first thing you say after not seeing your bestie for almost a month? How dry! I’m disappointed, Mika!”

Pouting, Arashi pinches Mika’s nose. Mika cringes and shakes his head frantically.

“Nnah, so—sorry, Naru! It’s jus’ that ya surprised me! I wasn’t expectin’ ya ta come all the way ‘ere. I missed ya awful lot, too!”

“Of course, you’re surprised. That was the point. I _wanted_ to surprise you!” Arashi giggles mischievously. “Plus, I was getting worried because you wouldn’t ever show up. I did think that it must be because you are getting accustomed to the new surroundings, but I just had to come and check up on you. After all, I’m the one who led you to this place, right?”

“Naru…” Mika murmurs, touched.

Grown curious by their affectionate exchange, the marionette leaves the broom aside and walks closer to the front door. She timidly scrutinizes the cheerful stranger, who seems to be Mika’s “bestie.” At once, she receives the feeling that his sense of fashion is strikingly refined. The young man is lean and tall, with short blonde hair and purple eyes. His skin looks as fair and silky as that of a marionette. He is wearing several accessories, but they feel far from excessive; rather, they complement each other so incredibly well that they solely enhance the charm of his outfit.

Arashi notices her as she secretly marvels at his admirable style. He blinks in surprise.

“Oh, my!” he whispers, “You had another guest, Mika?”

“No,” Mika denies, smiling at the marionette, “She lives ‘ere. She’s our new apprentice!”

“Really? What an adorable girl!” Arashi’s eyes sparkle as he beams at her. He steps toward her and offers his hand. “Nice to meet you! I am Arashi Narukami, a friend of Mika’s.”

The marionette looks down at his hand for a second before taking it.

“Nice to meet you, too, sir. My name is—”

Her introduction cuts off midway. A puzzled Arashi waits for her to finish the sentence, but she has no choice but to seal her lips.

She does not have a name.

“Er…! She’s…” Mika tries to jump in to her rescue. He racks his brain for an appropriate name. “Her name’s…um—”

_“Anzu.”_

The marionette’s eyes slightly widen. Mika, equally startled, whirls back to find Shu, standing in the living room.

“Master,” he mumbles.

She also looks back. Shu meets her gaze fleetingly before narrowing his eyes at Arashi.

“Her name,” he repeats, “is Anzu.”

The marionette gapes at him in awe. A warm and dazzling sensation washes over her.

At last—will she have a proper name?

“Why, hello. You must be the famous ‘Master,’” Arashi says with a cordial bow. He smiles, but underneath the kind façade, there is no sincere fondness with which he treated Mika a moment ago. “Finally, we get to meet. I am Arashi Narukami, Mika’s friend. I’ve heard a lot about you from Mika.”

“Is that so,” Shu mutters, “I am Shu Itsuki.”

Though the master’s attitude is callous, Arashi does not seem the least offended.

“Anyhow, I’ll be staying in this town and visiting for some days to check up on Mika,” he continues smoothly, “Ultimately, I’m the one who led Mika to this town, in hopes of getting my friend to take a break from his burdens.”

Thorns are well concealed in his remark. Shu directs a grimace at Arashi, who simply flashes another angelic beam before looking at Mika.

“If it’s not a bother, could I step in for a moment? I want to have a chat with you and Anzu. I also brought some presents!”

“I—I’d love that!” Mika immediately replies, “But…”

He nervously peeks at Shu, who purses his lips. However, he turns around and walks back toward his room without a word. Taking the silence as an approval, Mika happily lets Arashi in.

As the two men head toward the kitchen, the marionette skitters after her master. “Master, are you all right with having a visitor?” she asks quietly as Shu strides through the corridor.

“…I am,” he replies, suppressing his reluctance, “I will stay in my room until he leaves.”

“Still, he said he would come over for several days.”

“I—"

He turns his face toward her, only to be taken off guard by her unwavering stare. There is nothing but pure concern in her calm eyes. Abashed, he quickly fixes his gaze back on the front.

“I can tolerate it,” he mumbles.

“If anything, please, let me know. Mika might not be able to attend to you while he is with Mr. Narukami.”

“Yes, yes.”

They arrive at his room. As he is about to turn the doorknob, the marionette speaks up again.

“Thank you, Master.”

Shu raises his eyebrows, puzzled. “For what?”

“For giving me a name.” Solemnly, she folds her hands over her chest. Shu's face instantly tinges red. “I will treasure it.”

“ _Non!_ Don’t be foolish,” he refutes with a huff, “I never said that’s your true name, girl. It’s _temporary_ , all right? I came up with it on a whim.”

“…Oh.” She pauses. “Pardon me for misunderstanding.”

The tiny flare of cheerfulness in her voice falters, which makes him regret his harsh negation. However, she immediately recovers from her disappointment.

“I am still grateful, though. You helped us just when we were in trouble.”

“Well, what am I supposed to do when both of you are so dim to invent a simple name?” he snaps, his gaze swimming aimlessly, “A—anyhow, stop bothering me and run along with Kagehira!”

“All right.”

With mixed feelings in his chest, Shu watches her hurry away. In truth, he lied. From the second he laid his eyes on her, _'Anzu'_ was the name that popped up first in his head. There was never a moment he could think of a more fitting name for her.

Nonetheless, he is simply too uncertain to give it to her. Giving a marionette a name holds a great significance. It means recognizing the marionette as another respectful living being, worthy of existence. But for Shu, it also bears a personal implication; giving the marionette a name symbolizes acknowledging its importance and letting it in his life as a companion he will always cherish and protect. That is what he swore when he decided to learn marionette magic.

And he is frightened. He is frightened to let somebody in, only to have them abandon him again. He is frightened to have anyone he holds dear, only to have them taken away from him again.

 

-

 

Arashi stays true to his word. Every day, he knocks on the Itsuki residence’s door and spends time with Mika from morning to sunset. Though Arashi’s initial plan was to explore the town with his friend, Mika shyly rejects the offer because he feels guilty to have fun outside by himself while Shu and the marionette stay at home.

Mika’s decision is not an issue, however, for Arashi came prepared. Instead, he helps around the house, makes tea for a nice chat indoors, and brings handmade sandwiches to have a picnic in the garden.

Of course, the marionette is together with them in every occasion. At first, she keeps her distance to not become a bother in their reunion, but Arashi insists she come and join them. As they talk and learn more about each other, Arashi takes a great liking to the calm and innocent girl. They become friends quite fast, and the marionette begins calling him “big sis.”

During picnics, Arashi loves to braid the marionette’s hair and decorate it with flowers. He also makes her flower crowns. Fascinated, she asks him to teach her.

“I would like to make one for Master,” she says, glancing at Shu, who is sewing in the porch as usual. Mika is taking a nap by her side.

“I see.” Arashi grins. “Sure, I’ll teach you!”

The marionette examines the flowers around her, thinking very seriously about what kind of combination would look most harmonious and suitable for Shu. Arashi cannot help but smile. Over the past few days, he has witnessed her fretting so much about her master—nearly as much as Mika does. Silently gauging his condition with her gaze, asking him for anything he needs, waving her hand at him from afar during picnics.

“Anzu.”

“Yes?”

“How did you become to work for Mika’s master?”

The brunette hesitates, wondering how to explain without revealing the truth. Arashi notices the conflict in her aquamarine orbs.

“You don’t need to tell me if it involves a personal reason, Anzu,” he adds kindly, “But I am curious because you seem quite attached to your master.”

“Attached?”

The marionette tilts her head to the side. Is this concern and affability she feels for Shu “attachment?”

“I wonder what you and Mika both see in him.” Arashi chuckles lightly, peering at Shu. From what little he has experienced, Shu seems like a testy and self-centered person. Even so, Mika says repeatedly that Shu gave him a lot of things—a sparkling dream, another family.

“I feel at home here. Despite acting roughly at times, never once did Master force me to do something against my will.” The marionette fiddles lightly with the flower petals on her lap. “To be honest, I am not as close to him as Mika is, so I am not of much help to him. Yet, I want to know more about him, so that I can support him as much as possible.”

Arashi turns toward the woman, who is gazing at her master. Even though her expression is unreadable as usual, there is vibrant warmth and gratefulness afloat in her profound eyes.

“Well, then!” he exclaims, “I guess that flower crown will belong to a worthy owner.”

The woman nods wholeheartedly. She reaches out for a red rose.

 

-

 

Knocks resound on the front door in the late morning. The marionette and Mika open the door without even asking for the name, but to their surprise, the visitor is not Arashi.

“Good morning, Mika!” Leo greets enthusiastically. He is not alone; behind him stands a sour-looking man with curly gray hair, holding a paper box in his hands.

“Vi—village head?!” Mika stutters, “Why’re ya ‘ere?”

“Naru called Sena here, so I'm delivering him to you! Where is Naru?”

“Naru ain’t ‘ere yet…”

“Ugh, so we came too early?” the man behind Leo growls, “Damn it, Leo! I could have seen my dear little brother if it hadn’t been for you!”

“Naru isn’t here?” Leo asks, ignoring his friend’s complaint, “Where is he?”

“Um,” Mika mumbles, “I bet he’s on his way—"

“No, wait! Stop!” Leo cries loudly, causing Mika to jolt in shock, “Don’t answer! Let me imagine it, let me guess the answer! Maybe he fell into a trap. Maybe he was abducted by mages! Or—”

“Get out of the way already!” the gray-haired snaps. Scowling, he pushes Leo out of the doorway as the latter keeps mumbling incoherently to himself. “Seriously, I can’t believe that guy is actually a village head. Anyway, I’m Izumi Sena, a friend of Naru’s.”

“Oh, I—I’m Mika Kagehira. Nice ta meet ya,” Mika says.

“My name is Anzu.” The marionette bows. “Nice to meet you, sir.”

“So you’re Anzu! That’s an inspirational name!” Leo interrupts, peeking from behind Izumi’s shoulder, “I never got to hear your name last time.”

“Nobody asked,” Izumi shoots back with annoyance. “What a nuisance. I wasn’t planning to intrude, but this idiot knocked without even thinking. I guess I’ll have to apologize in his place. I was just going to pass by because I’m supposed to hand this box to Naru.”

“I see… Well, Naru ain’t ‘ere yet, so what're we gonna do?”

“I guess I’ll just have to give it to you so you can pass it onto him.”

“Is that okay? Dontcha wanna give it ta ‘im directly?”

“Look! It’s Naru!” Leo shouts, pointing into the distance.

Mika and Izumi pause their conversation to see Arashi, sprinting up the small hill to the garden. He pants as he arrives at the porch.

“Izumi! And even the village head?”

“Naru, you’re late,” Izumi hisses, crossing his arms. “Thanks to that, we all had to deal with Leo’s blabbering.”

Arashi shakes his head guiltily.

“I’m sorry. Especially to Mika and Anzu, for disrupting your house with unexpected visitors. I only called Izumi to have him bring me something, but it seems that Leo chose to tag along. What a mess.”

“It’s totally fine, Naru!” Mika soothes him with a bright grin, “No worries!”

“Hey, what’s wrong with me coming?” Leo protests, “Don’t be a bully!”

“I am not being a bully; it’s just that this is another person’s residence, you know?” Arashi explains patiently.

“Then why did you call me here?” Izumi raises his eyebrows. “You could’ve called me to Kuma’s.”

“Because—” Arashi takes Anzu by the shoulder and pulls her to his side. Anzu blinks in surprise. “—my cute little sis here mentioned that she’s never had sweets, so I thought you’d be the perfect person to make some for her! You ought to see the face of your true customer, right? She lives here as well, so it’s not a bad idea to get to know each other.”

“I knew they weren’t for yourself, Naru. You wouldn’t order so many sweets when you’re always fretting about gaining weight.” Izumi snorts before turning his gaze to the marionette. “Well, here you go. Enjoy.”

“Wow! Suou would be so jealous,” Leo whispers from the side, “He’d throw a tantrum to eat some of those.”

Izumi rolls his eyes. “Kasa has some serious problems. He needs to cut down on sugar.”

The marionette receives the paper box. “Thank you. So you made the sweets by yourself, Mr. Sena?”

“It’s nothing unusual; I run a bakery,” Izumi mutters nonchalantly.

“His bakery is pretty popular, so I’m pretty sure you’ll love them.” Arashi winks. “Mika, you should try them, too. They’re also for you.”

“Naru, ya _bought_ ‘em fer us?” Mika asks, “Thanks so much! But ya didn’t have ta—”

“Shh. It’s my present for both of you. No protests!”

The marionette stares at the box regretfully. It is such a shame that her body does not allow her to eat anything. During outdoor picnics and tea time, she had to keep giving excuses to hide that truth from Arashi.

Even so, his consideration fills her sluggish heart with joy. He recalled her trifling words and brought such wonderful present.

“Thank you so much, big sis,” the brunette bows deeply with a delicate smile, “I am really happy.”

“Don’t bow, Anzu!” Arashi coaxes her to raise her head. He pinches her cheeks between his fingers and tries to enlarge her smile. “Instead, you should smile more brightly for me! That’s what I’d love to see. You're too serious all the time.”

“Arashi…”

“Yeah! Avoid being unfriendly like Sena,” the village head pipes in.

Izumi narrows his eyes. “I’m right here, you know?”

“By the way, where’s Shu?” Leo inquires, “Is he still sleeping? I thought Ritsu would be the only one to do that at midday!”

“No, he’s restin’ in his room,” Mika replies.

“Who is ‘Ritsu?’” the marionette asks curiously.

“He’s a friend of ours,” Arashi explains, “I stay with him whenever I come here. He falls asleep just about anywhere. It was the same this morning; I had to take him upstairs because he was sleeping on the floor.”

“Anyway, why don’t you tell Shu to come out?” Leo suggests mirthfully, “We should also introduce Sena to him, right?”

For a split second, the marionette is concerned about whether Shu will feel anxious in front of so many people. Then, her eyes lock with Arashi’s. The blond, as if aware of her thoughts, gives an encouraging smile.

She tightens her hold on the box of sweets. It will be all right. She trusts Arashi, so she trusts his friends; none of them would bear any malicious intentions toward Shu. Meeting kind people is a chance for him to take another step towards overcoming his fear.

“I will go call for him,” she states.

 

-

 

In the end, everything goes smoothly, just as she hoped. At first, Shu is tense and uncomfortable to have more visitors, but as soon as he sees Izumi, his mood instantly shifts to genuine delight; Izumi turns out to be a rare person who fits into his strict standards of 'beauty.' As a result, he takes an instant liking to Izumi and keeps showering praises on the baker’s charming looks. Though a little surprised by the admiration, Izumi returns the remarks with much contentment.

Since the atmosphere has become amicable, Arashi invites Izumi and Leo to the usual lunch picnic. For the first time, Shu also joins—or rather, is forced to join—because Leo did not let him escape. To his relief, nonetheless, no one forces him to answer questions about himself; instead, Leo, Izumi, and Arashi chat about their own lives. Their stories give Shu an opportunity to learn more about the village and judge its safety once more. His apprentices appear to be having a great time while learning more about the village as well.

Watching everyone talking and laughing in a circle, he is hit by the fact that he has never been part of such a big, friendly gathering. The experience is peculiar, and perhaps, a little pleasant.

It is near sunset when Shu and his apprentices have seen the guests off at the garden. As they head back home, the apprentices come closer to his either side. Mika hooks his arm around Shu’s like a small child, while the marionette walks with a flower crown in her hands. She has been working on it during the entire afternoon.

“Master, how’d ya find spendin’ time outside with everyone?” Mika asks excitedly, “It ain’t that bad, right?”

Furrowing his brows, Shu tries to pull his arm out, but Mika’s eyes are shining like stars, and he is not heartless enough to ignore them.

“I guess,” he agrees half-heartedly.

“I’m so happy! I can’t wait ta walk with ya ‘round the village! We’ll eat new things, go ta the market, and play by the ocean!” Mika grins, rubbing his cheek against Shu’s shoulder, “Then, we’ll show everyone how incredible y’are. We’ll make’em drop their mouths again with yer awesome shows.”

Mika’s elated face saddens Shu, but he scoffs instead.

“As always, you talk too much. Don’t get too ahead of yourself,” he reproaches, “Otherwise, I might just choose to remain indoors.”

“Nnah! No, anythin’ but that! Okay, I ain’t talkin’ anymore!”

Mika gasps, covering his mouth, and Shu chuckles gingerly. Comforted by his rare smile, the apprentice lowers his hands.

“Don’t worry, Master.” Mika beams proudly, placing a hand over his chest. “Ya see, I’m still ‘ere! I’m awful good at waitin’, so ya jus’ come whenever ya like. I ain’t goin’ nowhere.”

Shu blinks. Though he turns away with a harrumph, Mika’s assurance lights up a flicker of hope he believed had extinguished completely.

Someday, would he be able to perform his famous marionette shows once more?

Lost in contemplation, Shu does not notice the marionette’s absence until he is about to follow Mika inside. He finds her standing at the edge of the garden, as if searching for something.

“Girl,” he calls, “What are you doing?”

She glances at him, only to look back at the garden with remorse. Does she want to stay outside a little more?

“It’s getting late,” he persuades, walking toward her, “You can come out again tomorrow morning.”

“It’s not because of that, Master.” She rests her gaze on the flower crown. “I wanted to finish this, since the flowers aren’t going to be as beautiful tomorrow.”

He observes the handmade crown. The shape of its base is a little awkward in some places, but the mixture of colors of the flower bunches and fresh greenery is lovely. Above all, it carries the full scent of the lush garden.

“It looks complete to me,” he points out quizzically, “Anyway, you can make a new one tomorrow.”

She bites down on her lower lip. Shu spots the grimy marks on her dress; of course, she was running around all day in search of flowers. As a person who makes clothes to perfection, the sight is nothing but painful.

“ _Non!_ Look at yourself, girl.” He clicks his tongue. “You look like a child who’s just returned from a playground!”

“Oh.” She gasps, inspecting her dress. “I didn’t notice until now.”

“Gosh. Can’t you be more careful? You’re going to tatter your clothes in no time.”

“I’m sorry. I was in a hurry...”

The marionette sinks her head, quailing before his admonition. Despite having practiced with Arashi for days, she couldn’t finish his present to her satisfaction. On top of that, she upset him.

Shu lets out a sigh. “Did you hurt yourself anywhere?”

She looks up in surprise. His cheeks take on the rays of sunset.

“Wh—what? I’m just asking because I’m the only one who can fix your injuries.” He whirls away. “Don’t think too highly of yourself because you are inhuman; even if you cannot feel pain, you can still suffer injuries. Come, now.”

As he hastens to the porch, he hears her footsteps catch up behind him. Something brushes his hair. Startled, he turns back to see her adjusting the flower crown above his head. She flashes a demure smile, soft and sweet.

“As I thought—” she says, “—it suits you.”

Shu’s amethyst eyes widen. He realizes for whom she intended to make the crown.

Is that why she’s been clinging onto it all afternoon?

_I’m awful good at waitin’, so ya jus’ come whenever ya like._

The tip of his nose prickles. He has done nothing. Absolutely nothing. So why do they keep waiting? Why do they keep devoting themselves?

Shu takes the flower crown and places it on her head.

“Foolish things suit fools better.”

He wants to sew a dress.

 

-

 

In the peaceful ocean, a low humming can be heard. Soaked from head to toe, a young man is leaning over the edge of his small boat, his arms dangling. The long fingers create ripples on the surface. Water drips from the ends of his blue hair.

“Oh!”

His friend suddenly exclaims from the other end of the boat. He squints toward the distance, sliding a hand beneath his long brown bangs.

“What’s wrong?” the blue-haired asks leisurely.

“Isn’t that Sena next to the village head?”

“Hmm… It’s a bit far. I can’t really tell from here…”

“I’m a hundred percent sure it’s Sena! I could recognize that scowl anywhere. He must have become friends with the newcomers!” The brunet guffaws, his amber orbs shining with passion. “In that case, it's our turn now! We will invite them to take part in our group of mighty heroes!”

“I wish I could float around with them in the ocean…”


	6. Rendezvous

“You’ve grown so much, Valkyrie.”

Shu is sitting in the small makeshift stable in the backyard. The mare’s tail slightly swings from side to side as he rubs her skin with a currycomb. Mika has been in charge of grooming her every day, but Shu has decided to take over for today. Actually, he might just do so permanently, since this was originally his job anyway.

Meanwhile, Mika and the marionette are standing by the front door, saying their goodbyes to Arashi. Mika looks at his best friend with much remorse.

“Take care of yerself, Naru.”

“You’ve said that for the hundredth time already,” Arashi laughs, ruffling Mika’s hair affectionately, “I will, so you just worry about yourself, okay? You too, Anzu.”

“Thank you, big sis,” the marionette replies. Her peaceful expression falters somewhat. “I wish...you could stay a bit longer.”

“Oh, I wish I could as well… But we will definitely meet again, so don’t be so disappointed!” Arashi consoles, pinching her cheek lightly. “I will make sure to visit again soon. And remember that you can also visit me anytime. You two are always welcome!”

After exchanging a few more parting words, Arashi finally leaves. Mika and the marionette watch his retreating figure from the porch. As he disappears into the distance, the marionette places a hand over her chest. Perhaps, because this is her first time dealing with a goodbye, a part of herself feels hollow and cold. In order to shake off the wistfulness, she reminds herself that this is not an eternal goodbye.

“C’mon, Anzu.” Mika grins warmly. “Let’s get in before Master gets worried.”

The marionette blinks. With a nod, she follows him back into the house.

That’s right. She has Shu and Mika by her side. That alone is enough to restore the calm in her heart.

 

-

 

With a scowl, Shu clicks his tongue a few times as he looks around the dusty storage room. He has sifted through all the boxes to find a fabric that fulfills his standards, but none are close to satisfying.

Making handicrafts for selling is an utterly trivial task, so Shu did not mind letting Mika buy all the materials. Mika is the one to sell the handicrafts anyway, so he deserves to choose the fabrics himself. But for important purposes such as making a dress, Shu has always ensured that he himself look over and select the fabrics.

In other words, he must go to the market. Sadly, he is slightly doubtful about that. Although his condition has been improving steadily, he is still diffident about going beyond the the fences of his home.

For a long moment, Shu silently goes through the available choices. If he does not go to the market, he can resort to sewing a dress with one of the fabrics in the storage. But as one with strong attachment to sewing, Shu determines that outcome as preposterous; it is an insult to the clothing itself, and to the owner of the dress.

On one hand, he could request Mika to buy a decent fabric. Since Mika is aware of his refined tastes, he might understand what kind of fabric would be “decent.”

Since the latter option seems more reasonable, Shu decides to keep it as an emergency measure. He marches out of the storage and into the living room, where he finds his apprentices sewing handicrafts. The marionette looks up with curiosity.

“Kagehira. Girl. Let’s go to the market.”

“...W—what?” Mika stutters, shocked.

“I need a new fabric that satisfies my standards. And I don’t want to leave that up to anyone.”

It is the truth. Since the day he received the flower crown, Shu has been getting sick of his own enervation. He is tired of relying on others. As a master of two apprentices, he wants to live up to their admiration and affection—be someone worthy of their devotion.

Troubled, the marionette stands up to face him.

“Master, I understand that you’ve been feeling better, but—”

“I know that this could be too much of a stretch. But that is why I am telling you two to come along,” Shu adds, meeting her worried gaze. “Even if something were to happen, I would have you and Kagehira, right?”

The question leaves the apprentices stunned. Mika is the first to respond.

“F—Fer sure!” he exclaims happily, jumping to his feet, “Ya’ll always have me, Master!”

Shu looks at the brunette, tacitly prompting her answer. She stares back, and he catches happiness swim in her ocean eyes. Has she realized that he still recalls her promise? Oh, of course, he does—how would anyone forget such ridiculously solemn conviction?

“Yes,” she replies firmly, “Always.”

 

-

 

The beach behind their backs, the marionette master and his two apprentices are reaching the edge of the marketplace. Gradually, more people are starting to pass them by. Mika and the marionette flank Shu on either side, their eyes secretly darting to him every second.

Shu takes a deep breath, checking his heartbeat. Maintaining a straight posture, he tries to rid his apprentices of worry. He tells himself repeatedly that it will be fine. There is nothing to fear. This is just a peaceful marketplace. His apprentices are by his side. Nobody knows that he is a descendant of the Five Eccentrics.

Tenshouin is but a speck of dust from the past.

The entrance to the market is already bustling. People are shouting, laughing, and chatting. Shu’s muscles tense, and sweat beads on his forehead. Despite that, he keeps walking forward. These strangers are going about their own lives; nobody is paying attention to him.

Abruptly, someone in the crowd catches his eye. A man with curly blue hair. He is walking away with a pile of books in his arms. Shu swallows his breath.

That man. He has seen that man.

He has seen that man beside Eichi Tenshouin.

As though having felt Shu’s appalled stare, the man turns around, revealing his face. However, contrary to what Shu recalls, the man wears glasses, and his hair is much longer as well.

They must be different people. That man—he cannot be Tsumugi Aoba.

He cannot be.

“Master?!”

“Master!”

Shu blinks at the sound of frantic voices and murmurs. He has collapsed in the middle of the road. He struggles to shout out to his apprentices that he is fine, but his voice is drowned out by the resentful whispers from his nightmare.

_You killed him, Itsuki._

_Why, Master?_

No, no, no.

_I hate you. I wish I’d never met you._

_Never show yourself in front of me, ever again._

Tight threads close around his neck. He can’t breathe.

“Master!” The marionette screams as Shu writhes on his knees on the ground, clutching onto his chest in agony. “Master, get a hold of yourself!”

“We gotta get ‘im outta ‘ere!” Mika grits his teeth in distress, hauling Shu’s stiff arm over his shoulder, “Help me, Anzu!”

“All right!”

Together, they hurriedly take him out of the marketplace. The marionette grasps onto her master’s trembling hand; it feels cold and sweaty. Though she knew that he is afraid of people, it is a torture to actually witness what that fear can do to him.

Looking at him suffering alone hurts her inside and out. She swore that she would protect him, and yet, all she could do was scream for him.

It is when they reach the beach that Shu finally returns to his senses. He speaks up hoarsely.

“Let me rest here…”

“Nnah? Master, I think ya should go home—”

“I don’t want to. Not right now,” Shu mutters, staggering forward, “There’s nobody here anyway.”

While Mika and the marionette hesitate, Shu weakly pulls his arms free from their grasp and plops down on the warm sand. He snorts, glaring down at his pallid hands.

“Kagehira, it seems that you must buy a fabric in my place. Girl and I will stay here, so go and come back as fast as you can. It’s a fabric for a dress.”

“R—right now?” Mika asks reluctantly, “Master, I don’t really wanna leave yer side. I’m worried 'bout ya.”

“ _Non!_ Can’t you see? I’m fine now.” Shu grimaces, gesturing at himself. “Hurry up and go. Let us see whether your tastes have grown at least a little bit refined thanks to my influence.”

In the end, Mika gives in to Shu’s adamancy and rushes off. Shu quietly grits his teeth in self-rebuke. Pathetic.

Wordlessly, the marionette approaches him and sits down on her knees next to him. Even though it is her first time to see the ocean from up close, her chest is rather clouded; there is no joy in gaining new experience when Shu is suffering by her side. Worse, she has no idea how to ease his pain.

The least she can do is to distract him from it.

“Master, did you see the ocean often before you came to this village?” she asks bravely.

Shu does not reply, his gaze fixed forward. But his amethyst eyes wistfully trace along the horizon. A white butterfly flutters above him.

“…No,” he mumbles. “The only times I saw the ocean were when I accompanied my grandfather to his marionette shows.”

“Your grandfather must be a marionette master as well.”

“He was my teacher.”

“He should be very talented, then,” she says with admiration, “I wish I could meet him.”

Shu drops his gaze to the sand.

“I wish, as well.”

Puzzled, the marionette dwells on his words. She freezes.

“Oh,” she gasps, swiftly turning toward him and bowing down, “How despicable of me! I am so sorry; I did not realize—!”

“R—raise your head!” Shu exclaims, startled by the deep regret in her voice. “I didn’t say that to make you feel guilty. It’s okay. It was a long time ago.”

She lifts her face reluctantly, and their eyes meet. The sorrow in her blue orbs are so pronounced that she looks about to cry. His chest stings. He doesn’t want to see such expression on her face, but has no idea how to make her happy.

The least he can do is let her know that he is truly fine.

“Just as you said, he was extremely talented,” Shu adds quickly, “Much more talented than any other marionette master. Overcoming him was my goal.”

“Ah…”

The brunette’s eyes widen. Shu is relieved to see fascination replace the sadness in them. The white butterfly wanders in front of him.

“That’s wonderful.” She clenches her hands into fists. “I—I am sure you can achieve that goal, Master!”

“You dare say that after what just happened?” Shu lets out a bitter chuckle. “I can barely stand in front of a crowd.”

“Of course!” she exclaims confidently, leaning forward, “As long as you still have a heart that loves marionette shows, you will be able to perform again.”

“Girl…”

“Let us believe that what happened today…is merely an insignificant part of the process of reaching your goal, Master. It is not the ending. Let’s get there, step by step, together with Mika and me.”

Gradually, Shu’s face turns bright red from his cheek to the ears. He scrambles up hastily and crosses his arms.

“Hmph, you always utter foolish things! Anyhow, let’s wait for Kagehira at home. It’s getting chilly.”

Despite the grumpy response, the marionette simply beams, causing his heart to bounce.

“All right.”

She stands up and brushes off the sand from her dress. As they are about to enter the garden, something abruptly bursts out from the tall bushes.

“METEOR RED IN ACTION!”

“Woah?!”

Shu falls back onto the sand from the impact. Amongst the scattering leaves, he sees a man with chocolate brown hair. But before he can look at the man’s face, the marionette has put herself between him and the stranger.

“I won’t let you lay a finger on him!” she declares, “Master, hurry! Run!”

“W—what?” Shu stammers, “Girl—”

“L—Lord Leader, I told you to wait!” In the chaos, another voice rings out, and a tiny figure with purple hair appears from the bushes. “You’ve scared them!”

However, the so-called “Lord Leader” ignores the plea and everyone's stunned reaction. He raises his arm high into the air, ending with a heroic pose.

“The red flames are the mark of justice! Burning bright red, the sun of life! Meteor Red, Chiaki Morisawa!”

 

-

 

“I should hurry,” Mika mutters to himself as he rushes through the market, “I’m worried 'bout Master…”

Despite his determination, he is soon compelled to stop in his tracks. He looks around the marketplace, perplexed.

“Nnah, where’m I? This ain’t the way ta get ta Hajime’s fabric shop.”

He must have come the wrong way because he was so submerged in thoughts about his master. Clutching onto his bag of coins, Mika attempts to go back the way he came, but the scenery becomes more and more unfamiliar.

“Wh—what do I do?” he whimpers.

As Mika stamps his feet anxiously, a passerby notices his troubled stance and calls out.

“Excuse me. Do you need help?”

Mika whirls back nervously. “Huh?! M—me?”

“Yeah.” The villager comes closer. He has black hair with red streaks. “I’ve never seen you around. Are you a traveler?”

“No,” Mika whispers, “I jus' moved ‘ere.”

“’Moved?’” The black-haired echoes before snapping his fingers. “Oh, so you’re the new neighbor Leader’s been ramblin’ on about! Nice to meet you! I’m Tetora Nagumo. You can call me Nagumo.”

“Nice ta meet ya. I’m Mika Kagehira.”

They shake hands. Tetora flashes a friendly smile, which soothes Mika’s nervousness a little.

“Anyhow, are you tryin’ to go somewhere? I can take you.”

“R—really?” Mika asks timidly, “I don’t wanna interrupt yer work, though.”

“Nah. I was just headin’ back home.”

“Um, then…can ya take me ta Hajime’s fabric shop?”

“Of course! Let’s go!”

They start walking through the marketplace. Mika secretly scans Tetora’s unusual attire. Unlike most villagers, his clothing is less casual, and he even carries a sword at his hilt.

“Nagumo, are ya a swordsman?” Mika asks.

“Er, kinda?” Tetora grins, abashed. “I teach swordsmanship to kids.”

“Wow, ain't that cool!”

“Thanks. I’m still an amateur, though. I got a long way to go.”

Exchanging casual conversation, they arrive at the fabric shop. Hajime, the shopkeeper, brightens when he sees them.

“Tetora! Mr. Kagehira! Good afternoon!”

Tetora waves his hand. “Good afternoon, Hajime!”

“Good afternoon, Hajime.”

Mika feels relaxed as soon as he sees Hajime’s angelic face. They’ve naturally become friends because Mika always visits Hajime’s shop for new fabrics, and Hajime often buys Mika’s handicrafts.

“What brings you two here?” Hajime asks.

“Mr. Kagehira was lookin’ for your shop, so I decided to help him,” Tetora explains.

“I see.” Hajime beams at Mika. “Are you here again for a new fabric, Mr. Kagehira?”

“Yeah. Master wanted a fabric fer a dress.” Mika pauses. “Prolly fer mah fella apprentice.”

“What a great timing! We’ve brought new fabrics from the city just yesterday, and I think they would look beautiful for a dress! Why don’t you take a look at them, Mr. Kagehira? Meanwhile, I’ll make some herb tea for both of you.”

“Okay. Thanks a lot, Hajime!”

“You’re welcome!”

With a delightful hum, Hajime skitters into the shop. This is another charm of his shop besides the wonderful fabrics. He always offers some free cup of tea to his customers, all of which tastes marvelous.

After finding the appropriate fabric, Mika and Tetora head together towards the ocean. They stop in front of the entrance of the marketplace.

“Well, I gotta head this way from here.” Tetora points at the opposite direction to Mika’s house. “It was nice talkin’ to you, Mr. Kagehira.”

“I also enjoyed talkin’ with ya.” Mika grins. “Thanks a lot fer helpin’ me, Nagumo. I hope ta see ya 'round.”

“Of course! I’ll make sure to visit your shop next time.”

They shake hands once more, about to part. Nonetheless, a loud commotion from the beach suddenly travels to their ears. Mika pales at once and turns to look at his house. In front of the garden, he spots two strangers. The marionette is standing between them and Shu, who has fallen back on the ground.

“Wh—is that Leader?! What in the world is he doin’ now?” Tetora cries, appalled, “W—wait, Mr. Kagehira!”

Without heeding to Tetora’s words, Mika sprints down to the beach at full speed, rolling up his sleeves. His furious eyes are solely fixed on the source of threat for his dear master. Tetora curses under his breath and runs after Mika.

Meanwhile, Shinobu is having a hard time as the mediator. He is jumping up and down in front of the marionette, trying to calm her down.

“W—we are so sorry for scaring both of you, ma’am!” he shouts, sweat beading on his forehead, “We didn’t mean to! As your neighbors, we were just planning to—”

“Yes, that’s right!” Chiaki interrupts, “We were planning to see whether you were qualified to be a member of _Ryuseitai_ , our mighty group of heroes!”

“Heroes?” the marionette mumbles, utterly confused.

“Th—that’s not it!” Shinobu protests, “We were just planning to greet you in a normal way! At least, _I_ thought we were!”

“This here—” Chiaki gestures proudly at Shinobu, “—is Meteor Yellow, Shinobu Sengoku. Meteor Blue should also be somewhere around here. Oh, there he comes!”

Shu turns his gaze to where Chiaki is pointing and immediately stiffens in shock. A blue-haired man, dripping wet from head to toe, is walking towards them from the shore.

“The blue flames are the mark of mystery~” the man says leisurely, smiling widely all the time as he carries out his heroic self-introduction, “I have come from the blue sea. Meteor Blue, Kanata Shinkai…!”

Shu and the marionette exchange an awkward glance in the midst of bewilderment. Then, Shu spots Mika, running toward them with another stranger on his heels.

“Hm?” Chiaki raises his eyebrows. His eyes glitter when he sees Tetora, who has now overtaken Mika. “Oh, Nagumo! What a surprise! I thought you were busy, but you’ve also come to join us in the recruit! I’m so happy!”

Chiaki guffaws loudly into the sky, and Kanata chuckles.

“I don't think Tetora has come for that, Chiaki~”

“Leader! What’re you doin’ to these poor neighbors?!” Tetora shouts, half out of breath as he skids to a halt in front of Chiaki, “And why’s everyone here?!”

“Lord Tetora, please, help…” Shinobu begs, close to tears.

“Did you forget, Meteor Black?” Chiaki ruffles Tetora’s hair. “I told you that we were going on recruit today!”

“This isn't ‘recruit!’” Tetora gestures sternly at Shu, still sprawled on the ground. Mika, who has just arrived, is asking whether he has suffered any injuries. “Gosh, can’t you do anything in a normal fashion?”

Chiaki cocks his head to the side as Tetora turns away and faces Shu to offer an apology.

“For some reason, I feel like Meteor Black just scolded me,” he whispers at Kanata.

“He did~”

 

-

 

Thanks to Tetora, the incident settles down peacefully, and everyone sits together in the garden to have a talk. Except for Kanata, who is playing alone at the shore.

Shu’s gaze trails on him. There is something peculiar about that man. When they shook hands after a proper introduction, Shu perceived a rare sensation from the physical contact. It was familiar and relaxing. Then, Kanata snickered mysteriously and murmured—

_“It seems that I’ve found another companion.”_

“Now that I see, Takamine is the only one absent,” Chiaki notes, “He’d be sad to miss out. Maybe I should bring him from the vegetable shop!”

“It’s fine. Midori’s busy right now.” Tetora rolls his eyes. “And I bet he’d be much happier if you didn’t go, Leader.”

“So…” the marionette starts, “What exactly is your business with Master, Mr. Morisawa?”

“Right!” Chiaki says enthusiastically, “Let me explain in detail!”

He begins to talk about _Ryuseitai_ , a group of “heroes” that he has formed with four other comrades. Supposedly, they are in charge of “combating the evil and making children happy.” Although the concept is a little too abstract for the marionette to absorb, she listens to the end with great attention.

“Anyway, the point is,” Chiaki summarizes with a large grin, “I think _you_ are fit to be a part of _Ryuseitai_ , Anzu!”

“…Wait, me?”

The woman blinks in surprise, while Shu’s eyes narrow into slits. Mika bites down on his lower lip in concern. Chiaki nods.

“Yes, you! The way you just sprang out there to protect your fellow comrade was absolutely touching!” he exclaims, impassioned, “That is how a hero should be!”

“I—is that so?”

“What do you say? If you accept to become part of _Ryuseitai_ , you would have the title of Meteor Pink!”

There is a short silence. The marionette ponders to herself, and Shu peeks at her anxiously.

“ _Non!_ What plain nonsense!” he intervenes, “Everything you said is a child’s play, Morisawa. This is reality, not some…fantasy legend. ‘Villains’ don’t exist!”

“There _are_ villains, even in reality!” Chiaki refutes with resolution, “They might not be as obvious as they are in stories, but that doesn’t mean they are not there. They are always lurking in the dark.”

Shu scoffs. “At any rate, I am not allowing this girl to engage in such absurdity!”

“Master,” the marionette speaks up, “it’s fine. Please, don’t worry.”

The pink-haired gawks at the marionette as she calmly turns toward Chiaki. Ridiculous! Does she have any idea how delicate a marionette’s body is? Even moving too carelessly can crack her limbs—

“I am grateful for the invitation, but I can’t join you and your friends, Mr. Morisawa,” she rejects with a polite bow, “I want to stay with my master and Mika.”

The fury in Shu’s head instantly melts away. Satisfied, he clears his throat, and Mika beams happily. Chiaki purses his lips in disappointment.

“Well, if that’s your decision, I shall respect it!” he replies solemnly, “But if you have a change of heart, you can talk to us anytime! We’re almost always out on the ocean.”

He pats her rather roughly on the shoulder, to which Shu twitches in distaste. Oblivious, the marionette looks up.

“The ocean…?” she echoes, “By any chance, are you the person who often greets us from the boat?”

“Yup, that is me! And Kanata!” Chiaki laughs, “Now you know!”

Having heard the answer to their recruit invitation, Chiaki and the others prepare to leave. As they part, Kanata reaches out and gathers Shu’s both hands in his. The water on his hands are cool, but his skin is surprisingly warm.

“Shu, if you wish to meet my sea friends, do not hesitate to come to the ocean~ I will introduce all of them to you!”

“A—all right.”

Back in his room, Shu begins sewing the marionette’s dress with the new fabric. But even while he concentrates on the task, he cannot stop recalling Kanata’s oddly comforting aura.

Somehow, it is similar to his grandfather’s.

 

-

 

A few days later, Mika drops by the Takamine vegetable shop.

“Welcome.” The shopkeeper, Midori, stands up from the wooden stool to greet his customer. “Oh, good afternoon, Mr. Kagehira.”

“Good afternoon, Takamine.”

“What’re you lookin’ for today?” Midori smiles softly. “I’ll help you.”

“Thanks.”

While paying for the bag of vegetables, Mika abruptly remembers that Chiaki and Tetora mentioned Midori’s name.

“I think I met yer friends a few days ago,” he says.

“Friends?” Midori asks, “Whom?”

“Mr. Morisawa 'n Nagumo.”

“Geh—” Midori’s face instantly crumples in aversion. “Tetora's certainly my friend, but th—the other man isn't…”

“Oh, so—sorry,” Mika apologizes, embarrassed.

“Ugh…” Midori groans weakly, “I’m becomin' depressed just to think about him… I wanna die…”

“Nnah~!” Mika turns pale. He rushes forward and clings to Midori’s waist. “P—please, don’t die, Takamine! I’m sorry! I ain't ever gonna mention 'im again!”

“Yo, Takamine!” An energetic voice rings out from the distance. “Good afternoon!”

“No, this is the worst,” Midori breathes, covering his ears, “Now I’m even hallucinatin' about Mr. Morisawa…!”

“It _is_ me, Takamine!” Chiaki announces, bursting into the shop. He pats a panicking Midori on the head. “Oh, Kagehira is also here! Good afternoon!”

“Good afternoon, Mii~” Kanata follows inside with a smile, “Good afternoon, Midori~”

“G—good afternoon…” Mika greets back.

“Wh—why’re you here?!” Midori exclaims, stepping away from Chiaki. “I’m workin’ right now, can’t you see?”

“Hm, I see.” Chiaki rubs his chin. “Kanata and I were about to go out to the sea, so we were planning to invite you as well, but I guess you can’t come, Takamine.”

Midori shakes his head fervently. “No, I can’t. I’m very busy. _Very._ ”

“Then—” the brunette man turns toward Mika, “—how about you, Kagehira?”

“Nnah?”

“Why don’t you and your friends come with us?”

 

-

 

In the end, Chiaki also drags Tetora in, so the three members of _Ryuseitai_ , along with Shu, Mika, and the marionette, get into Kanata’s boat. Of course, Shu was quite disgruntled to join, but he gave in when the marionette’s eyes glowed radiantly with expectation.

As Tetora and Chiaki row together, the marionette stares at the never-ending blue ocean in elation. She extends her hand to touch the clear water but is stopped by Shu.

“Don't be so reckless,” he mutters, rolling up her sleeve, “You’re going to get your dress wet.”

“Thank you.”

Her lips curve up in response, and it hits him how frequent her smiles have already become.

Kanata has his both arms hanging over the edge of the boat, half-sunk inside the ocean while the boat advances slowly. As the blue-haired sings happily to himself, Shu realizes that all types of colorful fish have gathered around Kanata’s fingers. Eventually, they surround the entire boat and swim around lively, as though in sync with the beautiful song.

“You are very fond of the ocean, Kanata,” Shu notes.

“Yes,” Kanata agrees, “Just as you are very fond of marionettes, Shu.”

Thoughtfully, Shu watches the group of yellow fish, forming circles around the boat. He never spoke a word about marionettes.

The sun has begun to set when Chiaki and Tetora stop rowing. The boat floats in the middle of the ocean, pushed and pulled freely by the warm breeze. As Tetora arranges the oars, the marionette notices a slit on his jacket, near the shoulder.

“Mr. Nagumo, your jacket is torn here.”

“Ah, again?!” Tetora groans. “Thanks for tellin’ me, ma’am.”

“Do your clothes get torn often?”

“Somewhat. It happens, you know, while teachin’ swordsmanship. Even now, I got a ton of torn clothes back at home.”

“In that case, why don’t you bring them over to us?” The marionette looks at Mika. “Don’t you think we could fix them for Mr. Nagumo?”

“Of course, we can!” Mika grins confidently, “That’s our expertise—especially Master’s!”

“R—really? Thanks! I’d be more than grateful!” Tetora laughs. “I’m so bad at sewin’ that I just gave up on it a long time ago. Although I even received lessons from my master…”

“Your master?”

“Yeah! He taught me swordsmanship. He’s got an important business, so he’s somewhere else right now, but he stayed here for some time.” Tetora’s eyes shine with respect and pride. “He’s a genius at swordsmanship, but also a genius at sewing!”

“That’s incredible.” Mika glances at Shu, who is chatting grudgingly with Chiaki. “I bet Master'd be awful happy ta meet ‘im. Ya know, he always says he’s bored ‘cause he’s got no rival in sewing.”

“They could meet over the summer! Master told me he’d definitely be back for the village’s annual summer festival.”

The swordsman recalls the ferocious green eyes of his remarkable master, Kuro. The bravest and kindest of men. He wonders if Kuro has succeeded in finishing his “important business.”

Most probably not. If he has, he would already be back here.

Tetora does not know about the specifics of Kuro’s business. The only words he left were— _I need to find someone._ But for sure, it has something to do with the old handkerchief that Kuro always carried in his pocket.

Worn out at the edges, the piece of cloth had Kuro’s initials poorly sewn onto it. The work of a child. At first, Tetora believed that it was a present from Kuro’s little sister, but began to think differently when he noticed that Kuro never used the handkerchief.

All he did with it was to take it out from time to time and stare at it with remorse.

 

-

 

Shu wakes up in the middle of the night. From out on the moonlit shore, the captivating sound of tides pulling in and out echoes over and over in his ears, reverberating, crashing, singing.

Calling like sirens.

When he goes out to the living room, he finds the marionette, looking out the window at the ocean.

“…What are you doing, girl?”

Startled, she turns back. “Master? Why are you awake?”

He doesn’t answer. She faces the window again.

“I keep hearing the sound of waves,” she whispers.

Shu looks toward the sea as well. There, amongst the rolling tides, the person calling for him is waiting, standing barefoot on the wet sand. With a small frown, Shu steps to the front door.

“Master—?”

“Stay here.”

Taking a deep breath, Shu turns the doorknob and opens the door. Carefully, he walks across the garden and down the beach. The sound of waves grows louder and louder. Then, it disappears all at once.

Everything is quiet.

Feet washed by the ocean’s white foam, Kanata turns around. There is no trace of the usual light-heartedness on his mystical features. Shu looks into his sea-green orbs.

“You’re a mage.”

Kanata smiles. The wind from the ocean blows stronger, and the waves in the distance break with sudden vehemence.

“Yes,” he concedes, “Just like you, Shu.”

Shu became completely certain of it whilst out at the sea. First of all, Kanata was making no effort at all to hide his powers, and second, it was a widely known legend that one of the Five Eccentrics was blessed by the god of the ocean.

“It’s my first time meeting a mage other than my grandfather,” Shu admits.

“I see~” Kanata tilts his head to the side. “I’ve already met a few others, but perhaps, that is thanks to this village.”

“What do you mean?” Shu raises his eyebrows. “Is there something special about this place?”

“When humans were beginning to ostracize mages, many descendants of the Five Eccentrics abandoned their homes and settled here~ My bloodline was no exception. The ancestor of the current village head had been close to the Five Eccentrics, so the Tsukinaga family led them here and built this village. That’s why most villagers here are quite open about the concept of magic.” Kanata pauses. “Of course, that doesn’t mean everyone knows that I am a mage~ Only the _Ryuseitai_ members know.”

Shu’s heart pounds as he takes in this new information. Does that mean he is safe here?

Can he worry a little less about the horrible consequences that might occur if his identity were revealed?

Kanata peers at Shu’s tense expression.

“Are you afraid?” he asks tenderly, causing Shu to purse his lips tightly. “Do not worry~ The bad people who hurt you and those dear to you because of who you are…are no longer here. They cannot come here because if they did…they would be the ‘villains.’”

Laughing like an innocent child, the mage raises his arm. The waves churn.

“And as Meteor Blue, I would have to fight them. That is the oath I made with Chiaki.”

A white butterfly dances around them, to which Kanata extends his hand. The butterfly perches on his palm. Shu smiles, but sadness flickers across his features.

“Unlike you, I do not know how to protect those around me; I only know how to make them run away.”

Kanata shakes his head lightly.

“That is protection as well,” he whispers. The butterfly takes off. “Don’t grieve for a wilted flower; it will bloom again when the time comes.”


End file.
